The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her
by Tammy Sakamoto
Summary: "I want to know, Kuchiki Taicho...", I whispered, "When you call out 'Hisana', will you think of me or your dead wife?" He didn't reply. I smiled, "Then there can never be anything between the two of us." With that, I turned and walked away. ByakuyaxOC
1. The Sixth Roul Reaper

**Did you guys hear about the rumored ive Action Bleach Movie? I've gathered as much knowledge as I can about Tite Kubo-san's work, and on the way I fell in love with the story again. This is a story I'm proud of, and please keep reading it. It's a ByakuyaxOC, with an intense and good plot, if I do say so myself. Please Comment! **

I was a girl with no home to go to anymore. I didn't belong there, and I don't think I belong anywhere on this planet anymore.

I sometimes visited my family though, because I loved them. It seems that the only thing that my grandfather did now was kneel in front of the wooden lacquered shelf, just looking at a portrait of a girl.

Considering that this building I used to call home housed three children, two teenagers, four adults , and one senior, the setting was never quite. But now, as I visit this three story residency again, it seemed to me that I can't hear anything anymore, though it still housed eleven less one member. The liveliness that was once present was gone in the wind. I don't think they ever smile anymore. They never looked happy any longer.

It enveloped me in sadness.

Guilty.

Horrible.

Uncomfortable.

Which made me hate them.

Hate myself too.

Just get on with life! I screamed at them but with no success. I screamed as loud as I can to all of them, but of course they couldn't hear me.

I was so fend up with this. It was only me that died. I'm the dead person, not them. So just forget about me and start walking again.

Maybe they are still haunted by the feeling that I was still here. They can't forget about me if I'm still around. Maybe I should just leave.

So I did. For the sake of my family. I will never look back at this house again. I don't belong here.

Hi, my name is...well...I don't have a name anymore. So I can't really tell you. I was the normal model student of Karakura High School, Japan, until the incident happened. There was around five months left until my fifteenth birthday arrived. But I lost my life in an accident before I could see that day.

Actually, it was a little bit after my boyfriend's birthday, and he would have died with me too, but thankfully his annual luck was still there and I wouldn't let him die.

I will bring you back one year ago, on that not so normal cold winter day.

My class came back from a field trip from the mountains and we were driving down along a steep ledge. Thinking back now, my sweetheart was right. Whoever designed this highway track was awfully stupid to squish four lanes onto this bridge.

"Could you get anymore dumb?" he mumbled. I smiled. There was always something he frowned upon and complained about, but that was what I liked about him. He was a carefree spirit.

"Something can happen if people are reckless."

"You think too much. Just fall asleep would you?" I cooed. And he smiled back at me. Oh, his smile, I loved that smile so much. "They know how to design roads, okay? Nothing-"

And then it happened. I didn't know how, but something massive and fast slammed into the side of the school bus. I guess it was a truck. None of us didn't know what to do but screamed and shouted as the vehicle flipped our little car over and over again. The windows shattered, cut us and made us panic even more.

When everything stopped, the bus driver told us to immediately evacuate his damaged bus. I heard that the oil was leaking out, and there was a lot of smoke coming out. My classmates scampered out of any opening they could find, whether it was a busted window or door or emergency exit and sprinted.

"Let's go!" I shouted at my boyfriend. I tried desperately to pull him away from the bus.

"My arm! Ah! I think I broke it! And my leg won't budge!"

"You have to try! Please!"

"No! No! Leave! Get out of here!"

"Come on!"

"Run!"

"If you don't go then I won't either!"

"Kids!" the bus driver screamed and helped my pull my boyfriend out of the door. "Run!"

"Don't look back! Just move!"

"You have to come with me!"

"How many times have I told you to just-"

"?"

I heard an eruption coming from behind us, and then I was blown off the ground. Both men held on to me securely, as we literally shot off down the mountain. I closed my eyes and prepared for what was to come.

And then I opened my eyes again, to see that he was holding onto to my sweaty hand. The old bus driver had managed to grab onto the mental railing and catch my boyfriend's still useful hand.

"Ah!"

"I got you kids! I'm so sorry, I didn't know what happened!"

"When is the darn rescue team coming?" he shouted back at the man.

"My hand is slipping! Hold on!" the bus driver shouted back.

I felt a few drops of blood hit my cheek and directed my eyes to my love's broken right hand, which held onto me. He looked agitated and was shaking with all his might. He couldn't take it any longer.

"Let go of me..." I said.

"No! I won't!"

"If you don't we're all going to die!"

"Don't give up, Miss! We will all make it."

"Sir, you can't hold onto the both of us any longer. You won't make it. And you," I looked at my boyfriend, "your arm is going to rip off if you don't let go."

"I don't care! You're going to hold on and I won't let go of you!"

"...I'm so sorry..." I cried, slowly and painfully allowing my grasp on his arm to loosen.

"Hold on! Hold on!" he shouted, but I was sliding downward to the floor 200 meters below.

"I love you. I really do."

"Don't do this!"

"..."

"Hold my hand again!" he cried with all his might.

"I-"

And finally I made no more contact with him anymore.

That was half a year ago, and I didn't bother to see how he was doing. I knew that his special powers could he could see me in spirit, even in this invisible body. All I could hope for was that he was doing great, and everyone else survived and moved on.

My boots crunched against the one foot thick snow. What now? I don't have any place to stay or belong to anymore. All I could just do was walk.

Little did I know that a looming mass of structure looked upon me from behind.

…...

With each new step I took, I panicked even more. And if I had a real organic heart in this body, my heart was beating at 120 per minute. I know that not someone, because I was invisible, but something, because I heard the breathing of something very evil, was stalking my every movement.

What was it? Was it some kind of grim reaper, that was here to bring me to the under world because my time here was up? Was it going to slice up my head? Stab me? Eat me?

I know that I promised myself I would never come back to my house ever again, and I won't. I knew that I had nowhere to go, I knew that. And I should probably follow it and let it bring me down. But I didn't want to listen to what I should do. All I wanted was to keep walking, and dash off to a sprint.

So that was what I did.

My movements were very abrupt, and fast too, thank you track and field. And then I heard this really loud screech, that definitely came from what eyed me.

'Oh yeah, no way was I going to let that thing catch me.' , I thought. I took a chance to look back, taking a curious and risky chance, and-

"Oh f-"

Are you serious? What IS that? Wait, let me finish my thought for you. The thing that was following me was at least fifteen feet, cloaked totally in black, all except for the face that masked a white skull like face. Oh my gosh, oh my goodness. Holy!

At this moment in time, I was surprised I didn't burst out into tears while running as fast as my legs could take me. But I wanted to express my fear in some way, and screamed as loud as I could to alert anything that could help me. Of course, that could have led to a bunch of more of these grim reapers to find me, but whatever.

Then, I did something really stupid that only happened in movies and only weak damsels in distress would do. I tripped. What the heck? I tripped on pretty much the air, and crash landed onto the thin blanket of snow onto top cold concrete.

A massive shadow lurked above me in a menacing style, and I looked up to see the grim reaper sneered at me, "You bring me too much trouble,", and then went on to smirk, or lift up the edges of its revealed teeth, in a sort of semi-smile, "but I suppose its worth it. Your reiatsu is exceptionally strong mortal."

"W-what are you going to do to me?" I squeaked out.

"What am going to do to you? Why, what do you think?" he raised his hand above his shoulders, and was swooping down on top of my head, "I'll devour you alive!"

Oh gosh, the end is here for me. Thank you mom, for taking care of me when I was sick. Thank you little bro for when you protected me, thank you everyone! I'm sorry I can't see you anymore. And to my loving boyfriend, I love you!

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" I screamed with all my. And at that same moment, the big fat reaper hooted out,

"Agggggggggg!".

And I couldn't hear anything else, and couldn't feel the pain that was supposed to wash over me. I sneaked a look under my eyelashes, to see that...a...man..., a man had rescued me!

He was clothed in traditional Japanese hakama robes coloured in black, with a long white sash tied around his waist. He was holding what was apparently a katana, a very long and shiny katana. And what was the most noticeable feature on this person, was that he had the strangest red long hair colour, kept high in a ponytail. But I couldn't see his face.

Who WAS he?

"You stupid piece of work, finding your next meal already are you?" my savior spoke. My goodness, his voice sure was deep...all I could do was stare at the back of this person and at the attacker, completely immobile, another I hated about how I was reacting to this situation. But what COULD I do?

"You damn reaper...!" the monster bellowed at his nearly decapitated hand.

The man in the hakama snickered, that's not the only thing you're going to lose, SAY !" and with one awesome shot, he sliced off the attacker's arm and cut through at the center of the mask, leaving the monster dead.

It was a bit silent for a while, as this red haired person wiped the blood of his victim clean from his weapon. I stood up, and opened my mouth to talk-

"RAWR!", I heard a sheer cry from behind me, there was more?

"Be gone." I heard the whisper of another man from behind me. This time, it was not the red haired man, for I could still see, from the corner of my eyes that he was still in the same location.

I turned to take a glance at another hero that I've found today, and wow was he a sight to see. Although I could not see his face, nor his front side, I could tell that he was a graceful and charming man. Upon his shoulder laid the finest illuminating silk. He was dressed in somewhat of the same attire like red hair, but wore a white haori, with a single word detail at the back: six.

I had no time to admire this man any longer, for I heard the shrill screams of not one, not three, but five larger beasts, all looking down at me with the intent to kill.

But fear not, because the raven haired man with the ten on his back and my first savior jumped into action.

"Leave this to me Taicho! Zabimaru-!""

"No. I will. Scatter, Senbonzakura."

Practically thousands of thin pink cherry blossoms flew at the approaching beasts, and cut them down as quickly as one two three. The two males stood motionless, with the exception that their clothing blew in the wind. It was absolutely terrifying... and amazing.

"Woah..." the rougher voice mumbled. The two of them sheathed their swords, and I still, was sitting on the flower looking absolutely helpless.

"..."

"Oh, yes, Taicho.", the red haired man obeyed the silent command of his 'Captain' and swiftly turned to look down at me.

His hair wasn't the only wild thing about him. His forehead adorned pretty expensive sunglasses that exposed some sort of tribal looking tattoos. I just knew that there was more funky imprints behind those shades. His eyebrows were the strangest shapes..., and his eyes looked like he spent most of his time frowning, or something, I don't know.

He just looked at me. And I looked back at him.

"Are...are you...a...grim reaper?" I asked.

He looked questionably at me before breaking into an amused grin, "Actually, I'm called a Soul Reaper."

"Oh..."

"You're dead, right? It's our job to bring you back to the world we live in, that's where all of us spirits belong in." he said.

I blinked and looked around me to the dead bodies, very nervous, "Could you tell me, why those things were after me?"

"I guess, there's no harm to it." he shrugged, "We call those Hollows spirits that have gone bad. They like to eat the good spirits to relieve their hunger and to gain more power by taking in powerful cavities of reiatsu. And you have a lot of it for some reason."

"Our work is done here Renji. Take her back to the Soul Society with us.", the man whose profile was still hidden declared.

"Okay. Anyway, yeah, I'm going to have to bring you back with me." the red haired man said, and crouched to my eye level. And yes, I was pathetically still on the ground. He showed me the back of his hilt and was just about to slam it, but I was desperate to know some more about these people, and held onto his wrist.

"Will I ever see you again?" I shyly asked.

He smirked, "Maybe, probably, actually I'm not sure."

"How can I ensure that I will?"

"Well, I guess you can join the Academy to work with me, I'll look around for you, if I remember you at all."

"You have to be there, okay?" I pleaded. I was obviously out of my mind for practically FLIRTING with him.

He grinned again, "Sure.". I nodded.

"You're name is Renji?"

"Yep. Abarai Renji, at your service.", he winked, "Yours?"

"I'm dead, I don't have a name.", I took in a breath, "But when I was still alive, my...name...was..

...Sakamoto** Hisana." **

And Renji was about to hit my forehead...

but a clothed hand held it back.

It was the charming Taicho. And he really was handsome.

What do you think? Comment please!

-Tammy Sakamoto


	2. What Did I Ever Do?

It has been two months since I've arrived in the Soul Society. I've also completed the entrance exams to enter Shino Academy as a first year student. But it all seemed too easy for some reason. How could a dead spirit, who had just transferred to the Soul Society after two months, enter a prestigious school so quickly?

Renji had told me once a dead soul goes to the the society, they wait there until they are reborn into the human world again, and that takes for who knows how long.

He had also told me that sometimes, when a spirit has some sort of reiatsu, or spiritual power, than they could become a soul reaper. Renji told me that he DID sense some sort of power like that in me, and I decided that I would become a soul reaper myself. I was too tired of being so helpless, from my death incident, to my immobility when those Hollows attacked me, and the fact that everyone I knew was now suffering from grief.

Besides, I've always wanted to live a more adventurous and magical life. This was probably my chance...

Surprisingly, I had passed the nine hour long exam. I guess I wouldn't be too surprised, as I most of my time in this new world studying and cramming as much as I could. I suppose written exams were my pro. It didn't hurt that Renji had reluctantly helped me say some good words to the professors about my reiatsu.

Today was the day. The first day of the Academy, which basically consisted of a formal ceremony that welcomed new and old students back to the school.

I had yet moved into the dormitories of Shino Academy, and lived in the outskirts of the Seireitei, in the first district of Rukongai. It was just an abandoned shack, to which Renji was kind enough to bring books and food for me. I didn't see him much of the time, only about once every two weeks, but he had been good company.

It took six hours of walking to the to the school, so I woke up early in the night to prepare. I quickly dressed in my new uniform, a hakama with red bottoms and a white top, two imprints of the Academy crests on either side of my front. Packing up everything I had, and neatly folding up my loaned textbooks in a silk cloth, I bowed to my now unoccupied little shack- naively thinking that because everything in this world was living that I should pay my respects and gratitude to it-and left.

The more I got closer to the Seireitei, the more I saw of people clothed in the same as I was. I felt as though I was at the first day of kindergarden again, and felt nervous and excited at the same time.

Finally, I arrived at my destination: Shino Academy. It was the largest building I've ever seen, not even our largest mall in the country cold match up to its sheer size, constructed in a traditional Japanese agricultural theme.

I placed my bags in the room I was assigned to with a seven other girls, and waited until we were called down to the large hall. Everyone was quiet in this room, I noticed, even though we were freely to scream as loud as we can. I suppose we were all shy and just met each other. It was pretty awkward to tell the truth. And I wanted to spark up some sort of conversation, but before I could manage it, a sixth year student popped their head into the dorm.

"All first year students to go to the entrance hall at this instant!", he shouted, and left as fast as he appeared. As instructed, we quietly walked together in a close huddle and marched to the room. We were one of the last people to arrive, and sat at the front of the room with all other first years.

It was quite rowdy and hectic for at least half an hour, until a loud boom stopped us. In my head I commented that in the Real World, it wouldn't take that quick for everyone to shut up. I looked at the front of the room, to see Commanding Captain Yamamoto and the Taicho and Fukutaicho of the Gotei 13 stand in orderly fashion. Yamamoto slammed his cane onto the floor once again, and began his speech. Later on, he announced that the first years would come up to the stage to receive their katana and sheath.

I remembered Renji saying before, that, "Soul Reapers have their own zanpakuto blade forged from their reiatsu, but until that time comes, the Academy provides the student with a katana."

As the names were being called, I searched the front officers to find Renji. I saw him looking serious and stern, and smiled because I knew he was never like that, only putting on that facade for the sake of the students. And beside him, I saw the Sixth Taicho, who I encountered with once, looking as strict and mean as ever.

The first time I met him, was when he saved my life two months ago, and it went like this:

_Holding onto Renji's wrist before he could send me to the Soul Society, the charming and handsome Sixth Taicho-as the red haired boy called him-looked at me with a look I couldn't decipher as a glare or a look of surprise. _

"_Taicho?" Renji asked._

"_...Repeat your name.", he was talking to me._

"_S-Sakamoto..." _

"_..."_

"_She said her name already."_

"_Not all of it."_

"_My name is S-Sakamoto...Hisana...", I stuttered, heart beating too fast for comfort._

_He just kept on glaring at me, probably trying to drill holes in my head or something. But finally, Renji spoke out to him, a bit nervous himself._

"_Er...Taicho, we should be going back ourselves..."_

_He finally took his eyes off from me, and glanced at Renji. "...Of course..."_

_He shifted his eyes back at me with lightning speed and I saw him move his shoulders,_

"_Woah!"Renji shouted, as this Sixth Captain forcibly pulled his subordinate's wrist-and the hilt of his sword-and slammed it into my forehead, HARD. And I disappeared, and entered the Spirit World._

"What did _I _do? That was the hardest hit I've ever received..." I mumbled to no one in particular, stepping out of my flashback. The sixth year student sitting beside me at the end of my row glanced at me questionably, but didn't pay anymore attention.

"Sakamoto, Hisana!", I suddenly looked back at Yamamoto reading out our names, which signified that I had to go up to the front to earn my katana. And not only take the blade, bow to all the seated officers before me.

I stood up, and stepped down the clean stairs, and toward my teacher. I took the offered sword, and bowed to Yamamoto, thanking him. He only looked at me, much more than he look at the other students. In fact, all of the Captains, as I continued bowing to them and their Fukutaicho, stared at me with a look resembling that of the Commanding Captain. I reached Kuchiki Taicho second last. He had the hardest look out of all the Captains. And I looked at Renji, grinning down at me. I looked back at the other Captains as well, who, just like before, stared as I bowed to the Sixth Captain.

"...Not enough...", I heard him mumble.

I timidly looked back at him, "I'm sorry?"

"Your unacceptable bow, is not low enough..."

"Taicho...", Renji muttered.

"I'm s-sorry, I apologize.", I stuttered, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE in the room was looking at me.

"And when you speak to someone of higher rank, you stutter? That was so rude..."

My heart started beating fast again, and I looked a Renji, who made a signal that showed I should bow again. I quickly bowed, lower this time. "I beg for your forgiveness, Kuchiki Taicho."

"That bow was too quick, as if you want to anger me and disrespect me.", he stated.

Now, was really panicking. It was my first day in the Academy and already I've caused problems for myself. And I didn't know what to do, so I bowed again.

"I beg for your forgiveness Kuchiki Taicho...", I said, trying not to start whimpering, and trying to bow as low as possible, and as slow as possible. What did I ever do to him?

"...Do you know who I am? You have repeated mistakes for far too many times. How will you carry on with your education? Will you continue to disappoint and fail your teachers over and over again?", he mocked me again, his voice seeming to start increasing in volume, and it was very rare to see this happen.

I am in DEEP trouble.

"..."

"You don't belong here...", the raven haired man said, and I looked tensed up. Would he have me expelled? I can't be expelled for this! I didn't even get to study!

"Now, now, Kuchiki Taicho...", a light colour haired man said. I recognized him to be Third Company Captain, Gin Ichimaru, "She's new, don't be so harsh on her!"

"I don't think that this has got to do with you, Ichimaru.", Byakuya said.

"Well, she is only a first year student! She hasn't learned yet...you are always too strict Taicho.", he said, and looked at me with his large smile, "You should go, **Hisana**, before you make Kuchiki Taicho even more upset. Don't be too sad, **Hisana**. Go on now, **Hisana**!"

"You seem to not want that tongue of yours Ichimaru.", the angry Taicho said to him, apparently very angered at this point.

"...Hm...", he smiled, "I think we have made the Sixth Taicho very angry, don't you think? ...**Hisana**?"

Byakuya took one step forward, and was about to strike, but with Yamamoto's slamming cane erupted again,. We all froze in shock.

"That, is, enough!", he said, "Sakamoto, you are free to go back to your dormitory. Koichi Sensei, please continue."

I bowed to Yamamoto, who nodded to me, turned around to bow lastly to Ichimaru Taicho. I sped off to my new home, sparing no glance at the bane of my existence.

And when I approached my bed, I slumped onto my knees, and hugged my head, which laid on the mattress.

"What did I ever do to you...Taicho...?", I whispered, too exhausted from the events that happened just this morning, and fell asleep.

Later on during the day...at the Sixth Division Office.

"Come in.", a working Byakuya Kuchiki said.

"Hi.", a silver haired man replied, rolling out the door. On the back of his long white haori, showed the traditional number for thirteen.

"...What brings you here, Ukitake?"

"I was just a bit worried about you this morning at Shino Academy."

"..."

"I understand why you would be a little worked up about that young girl, but that-"

"There is nothing to say about that girl...but simply that she has not paid me the proper respect."

"...Her bow was perfectly fine..."

"If I say that it was unacceptable, then it is. That girl may not have disrespected you Ukitake, but she has, to me."

"...I know that isn't true. I know that her name makes you-", Ukitake could not finish his sentence, for the younger Captain, opened out a textbook loudly.

"I'm sorry Ukitake Taicho, but I must resume back to my paperwork. I have no time to be wasted upon the topic of that girl."

"Alright then, I won't say anything else."

"Is that all you have come to say today? Fantastic, please close the door behind you when you leave.", Byakuya continued with his busy paperwork.

"...Have a good day...Byakuya.", Ukitake sighed, and closed the door behind him as he departed for his own headquarters.

Inside the room, the Sixth Company Captain, carried on with his calligraphy, holding ont his brush more roughly that he should have been.

-TBC-

Please comment! I love you all!


	3. He Made Me Bleed

Mt time at the Academy was not too difficult.

Everyday we woke up and groomed ourselves, and went out for breakfast. Afterward we attended the Soul Society History class and Hollow Hall. The later morning would have us practicing Zanjutsu. We had lunch at ten o'clock, which I was not very accustomed to because back in Kurakura High School, our second meal was always twelve noon. Plus, that period only lasted for half an hour, while back in my old school, the union gave the students one hour and twenty minutes.

_'Speaking of which, I wonder how everyone is doing back there...are you getting along fine without me?',_ I thought. I hoped they were, and I could only hope, because I couldn't see them. I had way of going back to the Human World, even if I wanted to.

The second half of the day was much more strenuous and required that we sweat and use our bodies a lot. First up was Hoho, footwork and agility class as I considered it. This was probably one of my favourite classes,because of how fast we were taught to move. At a young age, speed was a gift to me, and I had joined the track and field team. I was soon transferred to the Shino Hoho elite class. It seemed to me that while I enjoyed it, the other students had trouble attaining extremely quick movement from one location to another.

One hour later of Shunpo and Hoho, came Hakuda practice. Once again, the class consisted of work with the body, and hand-to-hand combat. The males and I managed a little better than the other classmates in this field as well, but only by a little.

The professor, Koichi Sensei, was the meanest and most violent brute of all my teachers. Every class, he made us release five liters of sweat, and sometimes half a liter of blood before he allowed us to rest. But even then, he would not allow us to see a medic.

How did he make us perspire so much you ask? He made his punch and kick these bags of compressed sand for at least three quarters of an hour to an hour and a half every day. They were as hard as rock and rough as sand paper, and the friction could tear up skin quite easily.

Koichi Sensei sometimes made us climb up mountains sometimes, stating that it would make our kicks feel like and look like injuries made from metal pipes. I hated that teacher very much. The only reason why I could manage all this work because I imagined the objects I attacked was Byakuya Kuchiki. 

The more times I saw the Sixth Company Captain, the more pent up anger was built inside me. I've had about five encounters with him so far these past few years. It wasn't as much as how many times I've met Renji, but the events that took place at each scene either made me embarrassed, useless and weak, or scared out of my pants.

I still had no idea why he seemed to pick on only me though. I've asked myself that same question for many times since the moment I saw him.

After that incident in the Main Hall, I moved on with the first year of my Shinigami education swiftly and happily. But then came my second year, and I had to attend the annual opening ceremony once more, as expected from all students. I was a bit nervous, but glad that I did not have to walk up to the front of the school to bow at him and get lectured again.

Kuchiki Taicho did not spare one glance at any of the new students that bowed, and didn't pay attention to the quality of the bow directed to him and his Fukutaicho. So why did he give me so much trouble when I was a first year? Maybe he was irritable on that day or something? How about the day he slammed Renji's hilt at me?

The ceremony went along with relative ease, fortunately, and I was happy to exit the room he was in.

But before I could leave...

"_Ow..." I whispered when I fell down five steps of stairs in the Main Hall. The seated officers looked at me, a bit curious to see what sort of Shinigami to be would be so clumsy as to fall down a mere set of stairs. _

_I quickly stood up and looked down as I headed to the door. From the corner of my eye, I could see the raven haired Captain look at me and shake his headed in disapproval._

_And why did he pay attention to something as little as THAT?_

That was the third time I met him. It wasn't enough to make me detest him, but it left me feeling like a pinpoint for bullying and frustrated.

For the two other times I saw Kuchiki Byakuya, I had made him criticize me for what I did. Once, I fell asleep in a calligraphy class Aizen Taicho taught. I had to sit in the hallway because the number of the astounding number of student attendance.

Aizen Taicho was away on a mission, so the Sixth Captain, Kuchiki Taicho became a substitute for one day. He was-I'm sorry to say this, but-too boring that I dozed off against the wall.

"_What absolute disgrace and laziness, that a student would show in the Shino Academy.", I awoke from my sleep looking at the straw sandal feet of the Captain. I quickly stood up, and held onto my writing board, ink pad and brush against my chest. I quickly bowed and apologized. _

"_I am surprised that the school officials have not expelled you yet."_

"_I am sorry to had done that, Taicho...", I whimpered, not knowing what else to say. _

"_you have missed out on a very crucial lesson,", and as he walked away, he added,"I will not be surprised when you eventually fail this class, and ultimately shame this school."_

The fifth time I saw him, was probably the worst:

"_Fifth year students! I am honored to announce that due to the increased number of Hollow sightings in Rukongai, the seated Third and Sixth Company officers have agreed to train you for today!", my Zanjutsu teacher, Bekku Sensei stated. _

_At this comment that he made, my entire class started talking to each other excitedly and nervously, I stood as a worried student, talking to an excited classmate, both because that the Sixth Company would join us. _

_We began by observing Izura Fukutaicho and Renji sparring each other, and then the two third seat officers from opposite headquarters. Ichimaru Taicho spoke of some words of advice and tips to us, and told us to begin practice with a partner as they analyze our skill. _

"_Hm...good work with your feet, Hisana!", Ichimaru complimented when Kuchiki Taicho was close to us. I timidly smiled and continued blocking attacks from my partner. The bane of my existence glared at me when he said that, but continued with his observations when Ichimaru left. _

"_Hey, Sakamoto...", my partner started._

"_What is it?"_

"_Did you ever notice that Ichimaru Taicho would always stress out your first name?"_

"_Yeah, but I sort of figured that it was just in his nature."_

"_No...", he shook his head as we took another stance, "He only does that when Kuchiki Taicho is in earshot."_

"_...I don't think we should pay much attention to that...I'm sure it's nothing...", I replied smiling, and ran at him. Before the two of us could clash swords once more, Kuchiki Byakuya raised his forehand and motioned us to stop._

"_I have seen enough.", he said, as we lined back up, side by side._

"_Most of your fighting skills are decent enough, though we will polish more technique later on today. However, I first want to demonstrate to you lot the improper way of Zanjutsu."_

_And then, he glared straight at me, "I shall need a good demonstration of of disappointment. You.", he point at me, "You, will be suitable."_

_Everyone was shocked, and then Renji protested, "But, Taicho! She has got to be the best fighter in the class! Her skills-"_

"_Silence, Abarai. You are not improving her flaws by blowing her head up with hot steam.", he said, and looked back at me, "I thought I told you to come here..."_

_'You didn't say anything about that, Taicho!' , I thought, and bowed as low as possible when I stood in front of him. _

"_Stand on the other side of the field.", the raven haired man ordered. I quickly did what I was instructed._

_He grasped the hilt of his zanpakuto, "To everyone else, I shall demonstrated to you that would happen if you do not put effort into your studies...and to disappointments.", and then he drew out his sword. I gasped._

"_Taicho!", Renji shouted, and was about to walk to me, but was blocked by the Third company Captain._

"_There is no point in interfering. There is no way your Captain will change his mind.", he sighed, "The only thing to do is pray for the best for that young lady."_

_When I heard that, my heartbeat once again went into full panic mode. I drew out my now own spiritually forged zanpakuto, and gripped it hard._

_Honestly, what did I ever do to deserve this detest he felt for me?_

_When I saw him appear behind me a Hoho technique, and tried to stab me with his Senbonzakura. Thankfully, I used my shunpo to flash step away from him, only to block his strong sword with my own afterward. _

_I was shaking due to the immense fear I felt, and because his strength overwhelmed me as I tried to avoid having that blade of his touch me. _

"_Her fear can be seen easily.", Byakuya declared to the class, "Her strength too weak."_

_I flash stepped away from him again and readied my katana against him. He charged towards me and tried hitting me on my arm. I dodged the attack, and attempted to strike back, but of course, to no avail. This time, he pushed me back a few steps with just one arm, leaped, and actually cut the side of my stomach. I could hear Renji calling out my name. This seemed to have made the Kuchiki heir more motivated to poke another hold through me, and cut at my shoulder._

"_Notice that her battle stance is horrible, and her endurance is low.", he said again. _

"_Taicho...", I muttered, trying to get back on my feet._

"_Her fighting skill is terrible and her zanpakuto is very weak."_

_My anger flared up just a bit, and I risked my life talking back to this Captain, "My...zanpakuto...is not...weak..."_

"_...A weakling this, would have eventually made her own sword fail, no matter how strong her katana could have been."_

"_I said...that my zanpakuto isn't weak!", I cried, and charged at him, "Hado number 63! Pale lightning!" a shot of light blew from my hand, aiming at the nobleman. But of course, he could have dodged it in his sleep._

_He suddenly appeared behind me, and whispered, "The Academy has lowered its standards to allow such a thing still study in this place."_

_Before I could shunpo out of the way, he had already stabbed me at the back of my leg, my left arm, and through my hipbone. Blood rushed up my throat, and seeped out of my lips that tried to force back the blood._

"_Sakamoto!", my Sensei shouted, but he knew better than to fight back the seated Sixth Company Captain._

"_...Those of you that do not train with all your might, will end up leading a fate like this girl.", he said. _

"_...T-Taicho...", I stuttered,trying to stand up with my shaking blade. This is only a demonstration to a class of undergraduate Shinigami students, why must he act like this is the enemy Hollow...?_

_I coughed, as I stood up, and began breathing heavily. I didn't know if he was giving me a little spark of hope and determination, or if he was trying to bring me to death again, but Ichimaru shouted,_

"_**Hisana!**__You can do it __**HISANA!**__"_

_I used shunpo and appeared five feet away from my original location, wide eyed at the blow my opponent was about to send my way. I shunpo'd again when the raven haired man tried to stab me, furiously this time. I kept on flash stepping away from him, barely dodging the sharp blade of his zanpakuto. _

_At last, my wounds forced me to cough up more blood, and fall to the dirt ground. I looked at the sharp tip of his bade hang two inches away from my throat._

"_Scatter, Senbon..."_

"_Kuchiki Byakuya Taicho!" Renji shouted, his Zabimaru pushing back his Captain's zanpakuto. "Are you going to kill her just because you are stronger than her?"_

"_Sakamoto!", my Sensei rushed up to me, followed by the rest of the class. "Sakamoto! Get a fourth division member here!"_

_I could barely hear, anyone from my class call me, even though they were right beside me. All I could see was that bane of my existence wipe my blood free from his Senbonzakura, the zanpakuto he had used to save my life a few years back, now with the intention to end the life of that same girl. That was all I could see, and the only thing I could hear was the still calm and cold voice of Byakuya Kuchiki saying, _

"_She is a waste of skin anyway...a name-"_

"_Hyaaaaa!", I screamed at the top of my lungs, and charged towards himself, pushing and being held back by my Shino Academy classmates and Sensei. _

"_Who do you think you are?", I cried, totally blinded by humiliation, "How dare you say things like that! Do you think you are better than all of us? What are you? Suffering from a lack of love?" _

_He glared at me, "I would watch that waging tongue of yours, when you know that could cannot stand a chance against me."._

_With that, he turned away, with the rest of the Sixth Division. _

_Ichimaru Taicho sat in front of me, "I'm sorry, Hisana, he's not like this usually. He's always calm and collected."_

_In my head, mused to myself, 'Of course he is, it's just that he enjoys torturing just me...its always been like that.'_

"_I swear, Kuchiki Taicho, one day, I will become stronger than you and make you eat those words you've used to insult me...", I said, before closing my eyes and passing out. _

_Gin Ichimaru only smiled even wider. _

I was now finishing off my final year at Shino Academy, as completing my final lesson of the of the year.

One week later, on a bright new morning of our lives, I combed my jet black hair, and tied it up into a half ponytail, wearing the finest clip I have ever purchased. I carefully wore on my new black hakama, that had been just cleaned and ironed carefully, and made sure everything was in proper place. Every senior student was doing the same as well.

It was the day we would graduate out of Shino Academy and move to work in one of the three corporations of the Seireitei.

I looked sternly in the mirror, and pulled out the last of the wrinkles on my sash, and smiled happily.

"This is it guys...", I said to my roommates, "We have to go to the Main Hall now...It's been fun living with you quiet lot."

The eight of us, walked into the door, once again being one of the last dorms to arrive. Yamamoto's cane slammed onto the floor again, and the graduating ceremony began. All of my roommates stood up and bowed to the officers, lining up behind whatever Captain and corporation they signed up to be in.

And then my name was called.

Like the last time six years ago, the Captains looked at me as I walked up the stairs, making sure that I didn't trip like the last time, and smiled when the First Company Commanding Captain patted my shoulder as I bowed to him. I bowed to every other Shinigami, saying things about how I appreciate all the help they have given me and what not.

Now, it IS quite strange that I decided to enter the Gotei 13 under the Sixth Company. But I wanted to show that black haired man that I was not afraid of him, and that I was not the weakling that I was labeled one year ago.

I stood in front of Renji, who grinned at me, and my new Captain, and bowed as low and as slow as possible, without seeming to exaggerate it, and smiled at the man that was still glaring at me.

"Kuchiki Taicho, Abarai Fukutaicho, my name is Sakamoto Hisana.", I smiled.

"Hi.", Renji grinned. I gave him a little nod, but look at the raven haired man again.

"Taicho, I don't think that I am still a_ still _a waste of skin, now that Yamamoto Taicho has assigned me to be your Sixth Company Third Seat Officer, am I...?"

He only glared and told me to stand behind him.


	4. I know I'm a Waste of Skin

**Okay, so the last Chapter was pretty much all over the place. But I really couldn't see a good plot if Hisana and Byakuya were working in different places. So I had to rush along the story a lot. Please keep on supporting my story!**

"_Taicho, I don't think that I am still a still a waste of skin, now that Yamamoto Taicho has assigned me to be your Sixth Company Third Seat Officer, am I...?"_

_He only glared and told me to stand behind him._

"_Do not fool yourself. The only reason why you became a seated officer in my Division was because my third seat was pregnant."_

I snapped out of my flashback, and focused my attention back to my reflection in the clear little pond in the Sixth Company headquarters.

_'I age much slower here than in the Human World. It's been six and a half years already...'_, I smiled, _'But I look like I'm still a fifteen year old, even though I'm actually twenty-one.'_

"Youth and longevity maybe?", I giggled, and pulled back a falling strand of hair.

"Zabimaru!", Renji shouted, and shot my head over to the large field.

You see, both Renji and I had some sort of passion to defeat our Captain. I had wanted to spar Kuchiki Taicho on multiple occasions, but every time the spiky red haired Fukutaicho interfered, taking on the raven haired man before I could.

The spar ended in typically the same way, Kuchiki Taicho would shunpo out of the way before Renji's zanpakuto could graze him, and he unarmed Renji in a blink of an eye.

Even though Renji was a guy, Byakuya barely attacked him with the same amount of ruthlessness he used on me back in my fifth year at the Academy. Why was he so rough on me? I've always wanted to ask him that question, but I was always a little afraid of him and the answer itself.

"Damn...", Renji muttered and stood up to retrieve his zanpakuto. He was completely drenched in sweat, wiping his wild looking face as well as he could.

Kuchiki Taicho, on the other hand, did not look bothered, and had absolutely no trace of perspiration on his handsome face at all.

_'Since I'm on the topic of their faces, I wonder who's better looking...?'_, I thought, _'I like Captain's black hair better, and I also like his eye brows and how angry they look. But he's so pale! Only girls should be fair skinned, which makes Renji's darker skin tone more attractive, but...his tattoos are so...noticeable! You know what? My old boyfriend will always be the coolest looking guy in the universe!'_

I smiled at my decision, and sighed when I thought of my first love again.

It's been years since I've seen him. I can't remember his face distinctively anymore...but I remembered that he had the sweetest smile out of all the boys in our class. Most of the time his face was etched an angry mood, but it fit him well, and I liked angry looking nerds. He was one of the smartest men in our grade, but looked nothing like it. His jaw bones were hard and manly. He was taller than most of the guys, and always protected me whenever someone tried hurting anyone. Oh...and his hair...boy where they abstract...

"Sakamoto, it is unacceptable that a third seat officer should daydream when she is on duty.", a hard voice popped me out of my female fantasy. I looked up at the two looming figures above me. One of them looked like he was about to laugh, the other looked ready to fire me. I sighed and stood up.

"I'm sorry, Kuchiki Taicho."

"Next time-"

"I won't do that again in your presence."

"You will not commit that act _at all_."

"...Yes.", I looked down at his socks. I became used to this behavior since joining the Gotei 13. It didn't even bother me anymore. If there wasn't one thing he could criticize me in, there would always been something else.

"There have been Hollow sightings in the 5th District of Rukongai. The two of you will go with Ninth Lieutenant Hisagi and Third Seat Ikkaku to attend to this situation.", my Captain stated as I stood up from my seat on the bench. We bowed to him and ran off to get my zanpakuto.

"...As well, I will not tolerate failure, from seated officers.", he referred to both of us, but I knew he only meant me.

"Yes sir." I mumbled, recalling the last time I had injured myself and Renji.

We ran off to the gate, where the rest of our team was waiting. I secured the sheath of my katana on my sash, and breathed in.

"Don't take it too roughly Hisana."

I blinked, "What?"

"I mean with our Captain. I don't know why he's like that to you, but don't feel bad about yourself."

I smiled, "I know."

"Are you guys ready yet?", Ikkakku Madarame complained, and ran out the gates, "I could have sliced off heads by now."

"Right. Let's go.", I suggested, and we flash stepped towards the Hollow sighting.

When we arrive there, we saw that there were six Hollows harassing the spirits. I saw one that was hovering over three kids in a corner. Another one was squeezing the life out of a woman. Two others were charging at Ikkakku and Renji, and the last one chased around two other kids.

"Where did they all come from?", I shouted, and ran towards the Hollow in the corner, "Wakahiru-Sengen!"

I called out my Shikai, which was basically just a longer katana that could shift to different sides of the hilt. Thankfully, I had managed to stab the masked beast and pull the cut down to its lower back, making it howl and start chasing after me. Jumping up to the roof of a taller building, I jumped on the Hollow's face and plunge my zanpakuto into the center of its forehead.

I clumsily ran over to the Hollow holding the lady, the woman looking as if she'd pass out at any minute.

"Hya!", I screamed, and hit the Hollow's wrist. The force I applied wasn't enough to totally decapitate the hand, but it came close, allowing it to let go of the lady. Shuuhei-kun caught the lady in time, and placed her on the ground beside the three other orphans.

"Hisana!", he caught me in his arms when the Hollow slammed me backward, "Are you alright?"

"Mhm...Wait look out!", I cried, but it was too late. The Hollow held us in his palm, and started compressing our bodies.

"Don't...touch us!", Shuuhei declared, and sliced through the monsters fingers, and finished it off.

"Shuuhei-kun! I'll go after the last one!"

"Wait up!"

"He's driving up a Cero!", Renji shouted.

"No worries!" Ikkakku ran ahead of me, and was about to take another step, but was blown back, and knocked into me.

"Ikkakku! You're too heavy! Get off! Get off!", I cried when I felt his elbow push into my ribs. His head was getting really hazy, and didn't jump off of me when I told him to.

"Zabimaru! Hah!"

Once that was all over, the Shuuhei tried pulling Ikkakku off of me. But that was not really an easy job.

"Man! You're heavy!" Shuuhei grunted as Ikkakku got up on his feet again.

"...It's not over yet...", I told them, looking up at the tear in the sky, where hollows began centering around it.

"It's coming.", Renji gripped his blade tightly, and I ran up beside him, panting a little, trying to get the proper air proportion back in my lungs.

I laughed wearily,"Look, there's three of them.".

"You ready?", our leader, Shuuhei asked us as Ikkakku roughly told the civilians to get out of here and as far as they can.

Renji smirked, "Even if we aren't, they would still come at us anyway."

"Charge!", Ikkakku screamed, and we all looked at him unbelievability.

"NO!", Shuuhei shouted, and ran after him.

"Let's go, Hisana!" , Renji shouted. I complied silently.

_'If Shuuhei-kun is going into Shikai mod...then we're dealing with a lot of trouble...'_

…

…

…

"Hya!", Ikkakku shouted, trying to cut at the Menos Grande's legs, but he just bounced off.

"Zabimaru!"

"Ikkakku! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine! Just go after It!", he said to me.

I gripped the hilt of Wakahiru, and stabbed it into the ground.

"Amaterasu! The Seireitei will! Heir of the will! Free us from the darkness that lurks! Power! Listen to the prayers of your child! Envelope the disease that plagues the time! Bakudo number 92! Gold diamond!", I screamed and immediately, boulders raced up from the ground and circled around one of the Menos. They pointed their sharp jags at it, and headed straight into the upper body of the black figure.

"I got it...", I sighed. Indeed, the binding spell DID hold the monster in place for a while, but he broke free from it after a few seconds. I

I gasped, "Bakudo number 63! Pale Lightning!"

"Rawr!", the Menos shouted, and looked at me, pushing of Renji and Shuuhei, "You little wench, I'll eat you first, and then deal with your other Shinigami friends later!"

"Hado number 7-!", I dodged a swoop from his large feet.

"Oh no...I don't think I'll let you do another incantation spell.", he took my left angle and dangled me above his eyes.

"Hado number 77! Shakkaho!", Shuuhei shouted, a beam of red hitting the Menos' wrist. I didn't work at all.

"Hisana!"

"Dammit! The other one is attacking Renji!"

"Go after that one! Don't worry about me! I'll take care of this one!", I told them, looking as persuasive as possible, "Just go!"

_'I don't know if I'm going to make it...'_, I thought to myself.

"Heh heh heh...I know what you're thinking, you should have told them to free you from me...but you Shinigami always place duty over your own lives...that's why you'll die by my wrath wench!"

"..."

"Have nothing to say? You've given me a lot of trouble. But at least your strong reiatsu will be worth it. Now! Prepare to die!"

I closed my eyes, my memories going back to the day those Hollows I thought were Grim Reapers attacked me in the Human World. _'Taicho...I really AM a waste of skin...'_

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

I smiled, my eyes still closed, _'Yeah...I remember those words he used that day too...he was so mesmerizing.'_

My eyes shot open to hear the Menos scream with all its might. And, in front of me, was the man that has nearly killed me once, but now saved me twice. In all his strength and glory, he stood on top of wrist Menos used to hold me up, his zanpakuto transforming into little pedal like blades that cut through the flesh of the Hollow.

All I could do was look at my Taicho, eyes glistening, holding onto my Wakahiru which had long ago returned back to its dormant form.

"Sakamoto..."

"Y-yes, sir?"

"Did I not tell you that I would not tolerate failure and indiscipline from you anymore?"

"..."

"Well?"

"You did."

""Of course."

"And I am sorry."

"...Stay there. Senbonzakura."

"Agggggggggggg!", and with Byakuya Taicho's zanpakuto, he easily slaughtered the oversized Hollow.

He pulled me out of the grasp of falling hand of Menos, and brought me to ground level, where the three other men and Onmitsukido recruits ran towards us."

He let go of me instantly, and turned around. I saw the beautiful fabric of his heirloom scarf blow in the cold wind.

"Hmph. This is unacceptable, Sakamoto."

"Taicho! She's new-", Shuuhei tried to defend me, but I placed a hand on his arm, saying that is was alright.

It was pretty silent between the four of us that were originally on this mission. The Onmitsukido spoke to my Captain, informing him of details of this case. I looked up at the sky, which closed up the two large rips in the sky from the two Menos Grande, and started to snow. I placed a hand on my chest, trying to calm down my panicking heart.

"Sakamoto.", Kuchiki Taicho started.

I looked back up at him, "Yes sir?"

"Do not disappoint me one more time. Or you really ARE a waste of skin."

I just looked at him, and he looked back at me with his steely hard orbs. The heart that I was trying to clam down, sped up again, and I clutched at the black fabric covering my chest.

And I whispered, almost shyly, "...I know...I won't make you cross with me again."

-TBC-

I just wanted to show that Byakuya isn't too much of a cold hearted jerk. And the incantation spell Hisana did was totally made up. So I am sorry if it sounded lame.

Please Comment! Thank you all for commenting!

-Tammy Sakamoto


	5. The Days I Loved You Part 1

I like this story too much. Let's just hope that I don't get sick of it later...

Two days after that mission, Renji and I had jumped back up to our feet and started administering the Sixth Division again. For Renji, his idea of getting back on his feet would be to pick a fight with the unseated officers in our Company. For me, getting back on my feet would be completing both mine and Renji's paperwork.

'That little brat, I have enough paperwork as it is. Why did I let him push me to do this?', I sighed, and placed another form on the done list.

"At least it's not too bad...compared with what Kuchiki Taicho has to do.", I stated outwardly.

When he saved me a second time that snowing afternoon, I think that my light on him had changed a little bit. All this time I thought that I was just being used as a dummy for him to release his anger upon. I didn't think he cared whether or not I died or lost a limb. When he stopped that monster from devouring me, it showed me that he didn't hate me, contrary to what I was worried about these past few years. He wasn't such a bad guy after all. He wouldn't have looked the other way when he knew he could save me.

It still confused me why he treated me so much differently from everyone else, that was still true. But he was a quiet and secretive man, he probably had his troubles, and his reasons to act that way.

But still, that's no reason for him to hurt me over and over again...But

I closed my eyes and reminded myself of how he had carried me down from the Menos Grande. As expected, he was very quick and graceful at the same time, and held onto me firmly. He smelt like herbs or spice, or something like Chinese incense. I liked that smell. It was a scent that belonged to him, and to another man I knew back in the Human World...my boyfriend.

And it made me happier about myself somehow, knowing that the man I've come to admire didn't think I was scum.

With my eyes still closed, I crossed my arms on my corner desk in the office I shared with Renji, and place my head on them. After thinking for a few seconds about my Captain, I thought my boyfriend for hours. Without myself knowing, I had drifted to sleep.

_I was walking down a long hallway, and stop abruptly at the classroom door: 8G. I touched the handle bar, but retracted my hand, like it was hot metal on fire. _

_'No no no! I can't just walk in like that!', I shook my head, walking away from the sliding door. I stood to the side of it, and eavesdropped on what the teacher was saying. The sine and cosine laws._

_'Gee...I'm going to need to know that for the exam...', and I scratched my head, standing in front of the entrance again. _

_'B-but! They are in the middle of class, I can't just disturb them like that! I have to! That's my lesson too!'_

_'But...'_

_I sighed, "Let's just face it, I'm too much of a chicken to go in there..."_

_I peeked into the window, and saw that the teacher was sitting down in her chair, and the students were doing group work together. _

"_Miss Sakamoto, why are you not in class? I've sent you off also half an hour ago!", the junior high principle said, "Come along now, I'll take you in."_

"_W-wait! That's not necessary sir!", I protested, but it was too late, he had opened the classroom door. _

"_Tachibana Sensei, I've come to bring you the new student."_

_'Oh no! What am I going to do now?', I screamed in my mind, pulling down all the wrinkles in my blue skirt and sailor top, and combing my jet black hair to get all the knots out of my low pigtails. _

"_Sakamoto! Come along now!", the principle ordered, and I walked into the room, trying to hide behind the short principle from the entire class, who stared at me. _

"_I leave her in your hands Tachibana Sensei.", he nodded, and waddled away, leaving me totally open to the crowd. I actually wanted to run after him too..._

"_Class, this is Sakamoto Hisana. She's your age too!", the teacher smiled, said things about treating me well, and ushered me into the empty seat at the fifth seat in the fifth row, right beside the row next to the window. _

_I quietly walked there, trying to avoid all eye contact with everybody. I pulled out the green chair, plopped myself down, and began placing all my belongings into the table. _

_After that task was finished, I looked around the class, not knowing what else to do. I spent the morning doing just that. _

_Lunch came, and I walked back into the classroom, after going to the cafeteria to get a bottle of water and a small pork bun. I was famished! _

_I was about to bite into my food, until a girl with red hair placed a hand on my desk, gaining my attention. She was wearing glasses._

"_Hello!"_

"_Hi."_

"_What was your name again?"_

"_I'm Hisana."_

_She crouched down to my chest level. "I like that name...are those C-cups?"_

_I blushed and stood up, holding my food in front of me "Um...no..."_

_She blinked and followed after me, "Are you sure about that honey? Here let me check."_

"_No! It's okay!"_

"_Why are you so shy? Come here-!"_

"_You annoying tramp! Stop scaring the life out of everyone!", a girl with short black hair back handed her. Oh...my hero!_

"_Are you alright?", another girl popped up beside me, with honey brown coloured hair. I nodded, "Red hair over there is usually like that."_

_I made a look that showed that I understood she was homosexual, and sat back down on my chair, while she went to pull the two fighting girls away from each other._

_And just when I was going to stuff my face with the pork bun, I felt someone poke me, I snapped my head back behind me. _

"_That's a pork bun right?", the person who poked me, a boy, asked._

"_Yeah..."_

"_I'll trade you some of it for my tempura.", he showed me his bento box. _

"_I-it's alright, I'll give all of my bun, and you don't have to shared your food with me.", I laughed nervously. He looked like someone who just came out of a gangster movie! I definitely didn't want to piss him off, neither do I want his suspicious laced tempura. _

"_I just wanted a small piece of it, I like pork buns.", he commented, "You're a little bit lanky...having more variety of food is good for you."_

_I blushed, "I get enough nutrition..." In truth, I really did want a bite out of that shrimp tempura. _

_He pushed it closer to me, "Come on...or I can't eat."_

"_You can have the pork bun!"_

_He smirked, "The bento isn't laced with poison or drugs..."_

"_I didn't say it was..."_

"_I think you were thinking it.", he suggested._

_A bit embarrassed that I was caught, I huffed, and grabbed one of his shrimp, handing him the opened pork bun. _

_He immediately ripped out a large piece of it and pouted at me, in the most ADORABLE and PUNKISH way ever, "We take a bit on a count of three..."_

_I sweat dropped, did he really have to go through this much trouble? _

"_One two three.", we shoved the food into our mouths, chewed and swallowed._

"_Why did you have to go through all that trouble when I offered you my pork bun for free?"_

"_Because I wanted to show you tell you could trust me."_

_We just stared at each other for a moment, and then we smiled at each other. _

"_I'm Sakamoto Hisana."_

"_Hi, I'm-" _

I shot my head up when I heard a loud thud from the door, "Who is it?"

"What? Me!"

"Oh...Renji...you startled me."

"I lost to Taicho, again.

"Okay..."

"You know what? I'm too angry to talk about it now, you can go back to whatever you were doing."

I grinned, "Okay." I immediately fell back to sleep again."

"_How much do you want to bet that Yura and him are dating?", a girl whispered beside me._

"_1000 yen!", another girl said beside me. _

"_I don't think their dating at all guys...", I suggested. _

"_How do you know Hisana?"_

"_I bet they are1"_

"_Come on guys...why would you think that!"_

"_Of course we would! They make as many excuses to touch each other, what else could that mean?"_

"_I think you're just hallucinating...I don't think they are...", I said, trying not to show my anger and jealousy._

"_Okay, even if they aren't, they probably like each other. Let's go spy on them."_

_As my friends ran off, I threw my water bottle back into my bag and crossed my arms, "No matter how many times I tell them, they won't get the right idea..."_

_Later on during the day..._

"_Yura! Come here!" the red head cooed._

"_What is it?"_

"_Sit beside 'Kuku' here!"_

"_Didn't I ask you to stop calling me that?"_

"_Whatever. Now, tell the entire class you guys' secret!"_

_Yura blushed, "W-what secret?"_

"_Don't play dumb! You guys are dating aren't you?"_

"_What the- where did you get that idea from?", he asked unbelievability._

"_It's practically written on your forehead! Tell us! When did it start?"_

"_I'm outta here..."_

"_Sit down mister!"_

"_Hey-"_

"_Look, Yura's blushing!"_

"_Guys...stop it..."_

"_She's too shy to admit it!"_

_At the back of the class, I clenched at my math book and my quivering lips._

"_Show her 'Kuku'! Show all of us how your love burns for her like one thousand suns!"_

_I placed my book and pencil down. Listening on sadly._

"_There's nothing going on between us.", Yura timidly said. Everyone squealed._

"_Show us! Kiss her!"_

_I looked up with tears in my eyes when the boy I liked and my classmate were pushed close together._

"_Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"_

_I pushed my chair out, stood up and ran out of the door. When I made it out, I wiped my face from the tears that keep on falling down endlessly from my eyes. _

_I looked at the fountain of water and drank a little bit of cold liquid, trying to sooth myself down. I saw him running out of the classroom, and heard the loud cheers from the students inside. It made me cry again, and I sped off to the washroom, shutting the door locked behind me, and fell down to a heap on the floor. _

_When I heard the five minute warning bell sound off, I looked in the mirror, ashamed to see that my eyes were bloodshot. Washing my face as best as I can, I then stepped out into the hallway, covering my face with my hair and headed back to 8F._

_I felt someone grab my hand and pull me running._

"_Wha-?", it was him!_

_When he stepped into the classroom, he glared at everyone sitting down whooping. _

"_Listen here! All of you!", he pulled me into the classroom. "I'm not going out with Yura, and I don't like her like that either! So stop bothering her! Because-"_

_He raised up my hand into the air, and I stared wide eyed at him:_

"_Because I am head over heels in love and crazy about Sakamoto Hisana!"_

_The only thing we could do was open our mouths at him at his declaration. _

"_That's right!", he snapped his head at me, "Hisana, will you be my girlfriend?"_

_My face turned beat red in an instant, "K-k-u-r-kun!"_

_He had fire in his eyes now! All I could do was nod. _

_And he went in for a sloppy kiss, while everybody in class squealed and whistled._

_The scene changed from the first time we touched, to the final time._

"_Hold on!"_

"_I love you...I really do you love...", and I fell_

"_HISANA!" _

"I love you ...", I cried in my sleep, causing Renji to look at me weirdly.

-TBC-


	6. Crying Koto

I was woken up by a few croaky sounds of a string instrument being plucked terribly.

"Ow...", I murmured, slamming my forehead to stop the sound.

"Ow! What the heck?" Renji shouted.

"So it isn't just me..."

"I bet Rukia's practicing her koto again..."

"I didn't know she can play the koto."

"That's the problem! She can't! But our Captain keeps on forcing her to!"

I cringed at the sound again, and stood up, "I'm going to look for her."

"You sure ARE brave."

"...Later..."

I flash stepped around the Seireitei, trying to look for the girl my age. Well, she was one hundred fifty, but we looked the same age.

I closed my eyes when I heard the sound of the koto crying louder in a paper room. And knocked on the door.

"Rukia, I'm coming in!", I shouted above the noise, and pulled open the paper screen. And of course, Rukia was cringing herself from the sound of her own playing. Her brother, Kuchiki Taicho, my Captain, sat beside her frowning and...twitching his eye a little. I kneeled down and bowed to him. He placed a hand down onto the vibrating strings.

Rukia let out a breath she'd been holding in, and dropped her hands into her lap. I quietly let out a sigh myself, although not letting the two siblings to know.

"Needs more practice, you have five days left before performing in front of the noble houses. Yet you still sound horrid. You are not paying attention to my lessons.", he glared at me. "Both failures will be failures."

With that, Byakuya stood up and walked out of the large room, not sparing any of us a glance.

"...And I thought I was the only person he was really harsh with.", I said aloud, and walked over to her.

"He is like that to you as well?", Rukia asked me incredulously.

I shrugged, "Pretty much. Though I don't really know why."

"Big brother was always very cross with me. I didn't understand it either, it was just like that since he saw me...so if he despised me so much, why adopt me into the Kuchiki family?", Rukia frowned, clenching her hands together.

We stayed quiet for a moment, until Rukia sighed.

"I'm sorry Hisana-san...I shouldn't force all my stress on you...you're just easy to talk to."

"...Don't apologize. I'm glad that there is someone who shares the same problem as me, to know that I can talk to someone who understands. Aren't you?", I smiled, and looked at the koto.

"Here, let me help you out with that thing." I walked over to her, and readjusted the position of her finger protectors. "you keep on twisting your wrists, that's not how you hold it. Play it for me now."

The sound was still equally bad as before, but it did sound a little bit more fluid and not as...twitch-able as before."

"Okay. We're getting somewhere. Let me see those sheets of paper there.", she quickly gave it to me, and I read over the first line, "Play this part only. Okay, you should press down just a little lighter on the strings...a little stronger, like that. Now play. Good. When you pluck, don't hook on the strings too much. Think of your hand like frozen little chopsticks."

"How does that feel?"

"You don't know?"

"Nope..."

"Think of it like your fingers are numb and cannot move freely. Try it. Er...okay, we'll work on that later. Move onto the next lines, remember don't pluck hard, or the strings might actually cut you."

"O-okay!"

This meeting between us continued for days on afterward in the same room. She was improving a little everyday, which proved that me staying up late and working early in the morning was not pointless.

I didn't see my Captain either for the past few weeks, for who knows what reason? Rukia told me that he was probably preparing for the noble house visit.

"The noble house visit?"

Rukia nodded as she plunged her hand into a bucket of ice, "Every six months all four major noble houses in the Seireitei comes to one of the estates and talk about everything and nothing."

"You're not practicing the koto for this are you?"

"I am.", she pulled out a paper picture of four rabbits scribbled in crayon and showed it to me. "Not only is it a time for them to discuss issues and what not, each family presents to the three other estates talent from their branch of the Seireitei.

She brought over another picture, of the four rabbits from before glaring at each other, sparks flying everywhere, I sweat dropped.

"Now, this isn't just a normal talent show they hold. Even though they don't actually admit it, it is a time for everyone to show off how much more talented they are compared to the three other families. Whoever displays the most showy set of presentation becomes the house that is the most honorable! It's the survival of the best!"

Rukia placed down her two drawings and started playing the strings again. I took the two drawings and stared at them.

"You draw like my younger sister.", I smiled.

"Thank you.", Rukia smiled and continued with the koto.

"Hisana-san?"

"Yes?"

"I have to tell you something."

"Okay, go on."

"You see, this song we've been practicing for the past three weeks is the only one I've managed to play decently."

"You're good at it."

"But, that's not the only one I have to play."

I froze and looked up at her, "How many more do you have to perform?"

"Two more."

"Well, we'll start on them immediately.", and said, and took the bucket away, about to walk out the door.

"And..."

I turned around.

""And...?"

"I also have to dance and perform an artistic talent."

"...We may be staying up late for the next two weeks, Rukia."

We dropped our heads down, so our chins touched our chest.

"I know."

We packed up quickly, forming up a plan to free ourselves from our Shinigami duties, panicking all the while. If she failed this, the two of us will never hear the end of this from Byakuya Kuchiki.

"So yeah, could you _please_ help me out this time?", I clapped my hands together in front of the sitting red head.

"Yeah, do me this favour!", Rukia joined in.

"Why should I help YOU?"

"Didn't I save you from that store owner when you stole that jar of water?", Rukia slammed her hand on Renji's desk and glared at him.

"That was years ago!"

"So?"

"It doesn't count!"

"Renji!"

"Rukia!"

"If you don't quit bothering me I'm gonna use my zanpakuto!"

"Like I'm Scared of that!"

"Zabimaru!"

"Renji! Wait!", I pushed my hand out to him, "Can't you just do this for me once?"

"Look Hisana, I'm happy to help, but I have a lot of work to do."

"I do that work!", I replied.

He shut his mouth and blushed, "S-so?"

"Just this once Renji, PLEASE!", I pleaded in a desperate tone.

"Hisana!"

"_PLEASE!_"

"...Fine! But only this once!"

"Thank you! You're the best!"

Renji smirked at Rukia, "Hear that? I'm the best. That's right and don't you forget it!"

"Yeah yeah whatever, let's go Hisana-san."

_The day before the house meeting. _

"This might take a long time."

Rukia sighed disappointingly, "I'm sorry..."

I looked at her and smiled, "It's Byakuya's fault for not teaching this to you earlier."

"Don't say that! Or he might hate you!"

"He already hates me already. I've got nothing to lose."

We sat there not speaking for a while, Rukia plucking on the strings, "Hisana-san, why are you helping me?"

"Just because."

"Why?"

"Why? I don't know why.", I shrugged, "I just want to."

She blushed, "Thank you."

"That's what I'm here for!"

"I have to go now, or big brother might yell."

"Alright. And remember, when you practice, your fingers are frozen. And your wrist has to flick like this!", I reminded her, "You'll be ready for tomorrow!"

"Bye!", Rukia waved and continued running off.

After she left, I locked up the door, and headed back to the Sixth Division headquarters. If I knew anything about Renji, he probably gave up on the paperwork last Sunday.

I opened our office, and headed right into the pile of paper. Did it get taller or something?

"I guess he gave up sooner than I thought."

Around twenty sheets later, I felt afraid of the dark, and shoved my work into a bag, and went for home. Before I could even make it out the main door, I saw a burning candle light in my Taicho's room. I headed over there, and took a peek, slowly opening the door wider and wider.

Kuchiki Taicho just sat there, eyes closed, brush in his hand, completely still. I walked up to his desk, and saw that he was like me, finishing off the work that he neglected for the past week.

I crouched down to his level, and waved a hand in front of his face. Nothing. I turned around, back facing him, and acted like I was about to punch him. Still nothing. Strangling him didn't work either.

"You must be out cold, Captain.", I squeaked.

Even when he was sleeping, he looked as angry as ever, like the world owed him something. I could see the little bags under his eye growing darker. His face was awfully pale.

I shuttered as the wind blew inside the room from his outside door, and went to shut it. I returned back to his desk, and tried to pull the brush away from his fingers. They felt like ice, and held onto the writing tool firmly. I had to actually grip and hold down his hand while yanking it out. They really WERE cold...like a dead person's...

I quickly placed my index finger under his nose, to make sure he was still breathing. He was, and I sighed, face a bit flushed from feeling his breath. _'Hisana! Stop it!' _

I stepped back, and looked at the stack of papers that was probably thicker than mine, then at my Captain.

I searched the room for something, and spotted a thick yukata jacket, and brought it over to him.

Quietly, I walked behind his chair and ever so carefully placed it over his broad shoulders, trying to blanket as much of his physique as possible to keep him warm. I could hear my heart ramming in my ribcage, and I wasn't sure if it was because I was scared he would wake up to yell at me, or something else...

Quickly, I grabbed a sheet of paper from the stack and then another, seeing if I could understand what they were asking for, before taking half of the stack and placing them in another compartment in my bag.

I walked to the door, and whispered, "I can't finish all of your paperwork, but I'll complete half of it.".

The door was pushed halfway closed, and I said, "Good night sir.", before shutting it, and running out into the night to get home as fast as possible.

The candle that I had kept burning flickered and shadowed the silhouette of Byakuya Kuchiki moving. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at the greatly reduced size of paper on his desk. He pulled his hands through the sleeves of the jacket that fell on his shoulders.

He had left the manor of the Kuchiki house to finish up the work that backed up way too much for his liking. When he walked in silently into the seat officer building, he saw light emitting out of the lieutenant and third seat office, but paid no attention to it and headed straight to work, throwing his jacket lazily on the corner chair. He was not even finished with the first page yet, but the idea of sleeping was so appealing to him that he simply could not resist.

_'A short moment of closing my eyes would be fine.'_, he thought. He didn't know how long he rested for, or how deeply he slept, but he woke up when he heard disjointed words, and a feminine voice call out , "...Captain?"

'_Sakamoto? I didn't even hear the sound of the door rolling open.'_, he didn't bother to open his eyes, and hoped that his annoyance would telepathically tell her to shoo out of his room so he could sleep again.

_'I must look like a fool, sleeping on a chair with good posture while holding a brush.'_ , he mentally slapped himself.

Just then a cold gust of wind blew through his door, making him shudder a little. His third seat went to close it. 

He felt his hand being tugged, and held onto his brush as Sakamoto tried pulling it out. He inwardly smirked when he remembered how much stronger and more superior he was over the girl.

He was absolutely angry when she held his large palm down and managed to pry the tool out of his hands. Who did she think she was? Daring enough to touch him?

His anger turned into surprise when he felt her finger on his top lip. _'What?'_, and then he realized she was checking if he was breathing. _'You idiot, you actually think that I would die from the cold?'_

He had no idea what else she was doing his his office, but then he felt heavy fabric on his shoulders. He was utterly speechless when Sakamoto when he felt more comfortable as she pulled the cloth over his upper body. She was trying to cover him...so he wouldn't be cold.

Byakuya's heart began to pound when he felt the soft warm hand of his third seat trail ghostly against his neck. He wondered what they would feel like if he held them.

Finally, he heard her whisper that she couldn't finish all of his paperwork, but would finish half of it. And then, she left.

He stayed like that for a few more minutes, and then relaxed. The size of his stack of paperwork was gone, which meant that she took it home with her, and he hoped that she knew what she was doing.

His anger suddenly flared up again when he grabbed the fabric of his shirt.

"_Byakuya-sama, are you tired?", the voice of his wife asked beside him._

_The twenty-eight head shook his head, "Hisana, go to sleep without me."_

_The black haired woman placed a hand on his back, "I'll wait."_

"_No...rest a little, or your condition might act up again."_

_His dear Hisana sighed and place something on his back, "At least you should wear something warm. I don't want you to fall ill either."_

_He smiled and stood up, holding her porcelain fingers, "I love you Hisana."_

_She smiled back, but only replied with a good night. _

His face contorted, and he held his head in his hands.

"Hisana..."

This had got to be the longest chapter ever. Anyways, please keep on reading my story! And remember to comment!


	7. In a Beautiful Kimono, Here With Taicho

**Sorry I havn't updated. This is the next chapter, and introduces another OC of mine, plus a few other irrelevant ones too. You may not think he will play a big part in the story, but you'll see later on! Please enjoy! **

Spending most of the night finishing off our paperwork, I accidentally slept in. And knowing how my Taicho was, he would probably give me a very very hard time.

I shoved everything into my bag, wore on my uniform, and used shunpo to arrive at work in record speed. I clutched my stomach and panted. Once I regained my composure, I walked into my Taicho's office, and placed the papers on his desk. Just as I was about to leave, Izuru Kira, the third Company Lieutenant stopped me.

"Hisana! I've been looking for you!"

"Fukutaicho! What's wrong?"

"Rukia's in trouble!"

I told him to lead the way.

"I was at the Kuchiki estate, and when she poured the tea, she tripped and landed on the broken pieces of the teapot. Then one of the daughters of the other nobles families started screaming at her about damaging her kimono with the tea."

"Well, she doesn't need my help for that...I can't do anything!"

Izuru shook his head, "That wasn't all, her grandfather started criticizing her, but she couldn't do anything for her. And your Captain wouldn't help her out of the situation. She went back inside to get her wounds treated. She's supposed to perform then, but she was so distraught that now, she can't play anything at all!"

Once he finished that sentence, we stood in front of the Kuchiki manor.

"Oh my goodness! This place is gigantic!"

"Being in a noble family rocks, I know.", he started pushed me inside, "You have to help her now!"

I looked at him, "Wait! I want to, but what am I supposed to do in front of everyone?"

"You don't have to go in the room. Just stay here for now."

The blond haired man walked into the room and whispered something to one of the heads of the noble family, who I assumed his family worked for. The old man stared at me and nodded. I just bowed at him from the outside of the large door.

Izuru went back to me with a girl following behind. "You have to follow her into the changing room."

The girl bowed at me, "Please come this way Miss."

"But what about-"

"Just go!", he whispered and went back inside.

"Your kimono will be in the changing room."

"My kimono?", I whispered.

"Yes. The instructor for every daughter of the four noble families has their instrument instructor with them when they perform."

"I'm not actually her professional teacher though..."

"Mistress Asako Kuchiki, noticed that your teachings have been far more effective in aiding Mistress Rukia Kuchiki far more than any other hired professional."

She stopped at a door, and pushed it in, "We are here Miss."

"You're coming in right?", I asked.

She nodded, "I am the Kuchiki family dresser."

"That's good, because I have no idea how to wear that...", I looked at the five layer kimono.

"We must hurry.", she closed the door behind her.

From behind the door, "Wait! I can do that myself!"

"Hold still!"

"Don't look! Hey!"

"..."

Once after changing, I looked down at myself as the girl guided me to another room for who knows what reason. I was too blinded by how pretty the clothing looked.

The outermost layer was designed in an orange silk fabric with blooming plums at the bottom hem that raised up to the obi. The obi itself was a forest green colour, with silver ripples garnishing the entire fabric. The neck of the layers drooped at the back to show the base of my neck and the top of my back. There was an emblem I recognized to be that of the Kuchiki family's. All of my hair was tied up, opposing my usual style of tying it into a messy bun. It WAS good to be born in a family like this...

"Hisana-san!"

I turned to see Rukia running up to me, her kimono dragging her down. She was struggling just to walk in it, it made me giggled a bit.

"I'm pretty surprised to be here.", I said.

Another lady walked from the room and glared at me, "How insulting! Fifty years of teaching koto, and supposedly you are a better teacher than me?" She exhaled and walked past me.

"I'm so glad that you're here!"

"I'm not sure that I can help much though..."

"There is no time to have small talk! You must go!", the girl that dressed me pushed the two of us into a hallway. And at the other end of that hallway I could all of the nobles seated.

"Oh my goodness", I squeaked and turned back to the girl, "What am I supposed to do?"

"Walk along side Mistress Rukia. When she comes up to perform, sit beside her and introduce the song she will play."

"I have to do all that?", I mumbled, and slowly walked with Rukia to the room.

"Hisana-san, I can't remember anything!", Rukia said.

I sighed, calming myself down, and spoke to her, "Just imagine that we're doing this in the room. Just you and me. Don't even look up at the people, just play when I nudge you.", and I gulped when Izuru saw us appearing, "Let's just hope that I don't screw this up."

"You won't. You never do Hisana-san.", Rukia stopped, "I can't even walk properly in this kimono."

I sighed, "Rukia, if I thought that my kimono was pretty, then yours is extraordinary." I grabbed her shoulders, "We'll get through this together. You have to show that you are as pretty as this dress1"

"If big brother gets angry...", Rukia shuddered.

"We will both be better off dead...", I joked, which made the two of us laugh, lightening up our mood.

As we walked through the door, I nearly gaped at the number of people that were present. Everyone was dressed in their most extravagant clothing. The room itself was so elaborate, much more elaborate than any other building in the Seireitei. Everyone was just looking at us as Rukia between Byakuya and their grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki.

I felt the eyes of my Taicho on me, and turned to him. He looked bewildered to see me here. I've never seen him like that before. And to think that I was the one to make him look that angry and surprised...I blushed and looked down at the floor. Standing behind the three Kuchiki, I looked at the noble families, who looked back at me. I didn't know what else to do, but look at my Taicho's hair ornaments.

"It took you long enough to recover from your embarrassing fall, Rukia-chan. Are you going 'forget' your performance?", a young girl, probably Rangistu's age spoke up. I looked at her, and there was a ripped wet spot on her long floored kimono.

_'That is an intentional rip on fabric...'_, I frowned.

"And who is this pretty little doll?"

I look at her face and blinked.

"She is Rukia's koto instructor.", a lady, probably Asako Kuchiki replied.

"And at such a young age, too. She can't be as skilled as you've said Asako-san. At least, not as skilled as my own instructor.", she pointed a painted finger over to an old lady.

I stayed quiet.

"Father, are all girls in Rukongai mute? Really Ginrei-dono it's rather foolish of you to hire someone like her."

Byakuya's grandfather glared at her, but did not say anything. I looked at Taicho, and he wasn't any better off.

I swallowed and decided that if she could disrespect someone with higher authority than her, than so can I.

"I did not say anything simply because I had no doubt that your teacher has had far more experience than I have. Really, Miss, what makes you think that my silent admiration of obaa-san makes me mute in anyway?", I scoffed.

She glared at me, "You better watch your mouth girl."

"What better advice to take than your own Miss. Sir, might I suggest you invest some money in hiring an etiquette professor. Once I have finished transforming Mistress Rukia into a world class player, I might consider taking her under my wing."

Immediately after my comment, I heard everyone in the room boom with laughter. Kuchiki Taicho closed his eyes, and I saw that Ginrei Kuchiki.

"Ginrei-dono!", the old man I nodded to before smiled, "I think we'd all like to see your granddaughter's skill, if she lives up to her teacher's words!'

"Of course, go on ahead Rukia, and make us proud.", Ginrei looked at Rukia. She nodded and stood up. I quickly followed after her. I noticed her blush.

"That was the first time he's ever spoken to me without sneering..."

I patted her shoulder, "That's good."

She looked nervously at me, and then at the daughter who mock us, a wicked smile encouraging the adopted Kuchiki to fail. I only looked coldly at her.

"Rukia,", I grabbed her shoulder, "I meant what I said. If you get past this obstacle, I really think you can become a world class player."

She gasped and sat down, fire in her eyes. I giggled, and bowed slowly and as low as I could, trying not to offend anyone with 'an unacceptable bow', "Mistress Rukia Kuchiki presents to you the theme from Tales of the Old North."

I kneeled down, and nudged the shorter girl, "Don't look up. It'll make you nervous."

Rukia began plucking at the strings of the koto, and I looked over her. From the corner pf my eye I could see that everyone was looking at her interestingly. Ginrei looked smug when he saw the three other heads of the noble houses nod their heads, impressed with what they were hearing. I looked at my Taicho, who did not even bother looking us, and stared straight ahead. He wasn't at anything in particular though, of course.

I heard some one chuckle to my left. I slowly turned my head and met a pair of blue orbs. He was a noble from the house Izuru's family served, judging from the crest he wore. He looked to be a man probably around Byakuya's age, if not a little younger. He had black hair that was duller than my Taicho's, kept in a wavy shag, with gray eyes and a hint of blue. He looked to be someone that was sick most of the time like Ukitake Taicho, except his condition was not bad enough that his hair turned white.

Rukia plyed the last note in the song and stopped. I looked back to the front and bowed, and then turned to her, "Everyone was smiling, Rukia, that was great."

Halfway finished with the announcement of Rukia's next song, the girl who we fought with before gagged in disgust, "Oh that is it! I can't take it anymore!"

Everyone looked at her again, even Taicho, awaiting another fight.

"What is that SMELL?", she started fanning herself, "At first I thought it was just my imagination, but I think that you two have been avoiding a bath after stepping into dog droppings! Rukongai girls, Rukongai girls, you must be taught how to bathe before going out to present yourselves to noblemen!"

It was humiliating to hear yourself being called something like dung, and I replied, "You know what, Miss? For a girl who was raised in a prestigious family, your mouth is very foul and dirty. I am not from Rukongai, and I know that your are making this up, everyone does."

I looked at Kuchiki Taicho, who looked back at me, "Besides, if we did smell like dirt, how do you know what canine dung smells like?"

I saw that her smirked had hardened.

"...Let's sit back, Mistress." I told Rukia, walking back Byakuya.

From then on, that girl kept on glaring daggers into me and the short black haired girl.

As they began speaking about more serious matters, I excused myself, and whispered to Rukia that I had to leave. Her intimidating grandfather glanced at me with approval. I bowed to him, not knowing what else to do.

"Sakamoto, are the papers on my desk?", Byakuya spoke for the first time today.

"Yes."

"Of course. That's all.". I nodded and left.

_In the discussion room..._

"Manaka, where are you heading off to?"

"Excuse me father, I would like to take a walk around the garden. Would that be alright Kuchiki-dono?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow , but nodded.

_Outside..._

"Miss!"

I stopped and turned around, seeing a boy-the same one with the gray blue eyes and black hair- running toward me. I waited for him to catch up in my Shinigami robes. He was smiling the entire time.

"That was great how you stood up to Masaki."

"I was just only standing up to her for disrespecting my Kuchiki Taicho's house members."

"You're a Shinigami..."

I looked down at my hakama and turned up the corner to my lips a little, "I am."

"I've always wanted to become one myself, but my father would never let me. My asthma keeps me sick most of the time.", he grinned.

"I'm sorry to hear that. If you can, you could try Taichi techniques. Or archery. Those things you can do in the premise of your house.", I bowed, "If you will excuse me, I have to get back to my office."

"Wait Miss! I've never really got to learn your name."

"...Oh...it's Sakamoto Hisana."

"Sakamoto Hisana, Hisana-chan, is that all right?"

I nodded and smiled, "I'll get going now."

"Wait!", I turned back around again, a bit curious why this man was so talkative, "Are you not interested in knowing my name?"

I blinked and smiled wider, "May I get your name?"

"I'm from the Hime estate, Manaka."

I giggled, "Manaka Hime?"

"I prefer you call be by Manaka...it's weird being called 'Princess' as a guy...", he laughed.

"I used to know a boy that had one of the most unusual names out there too."

"Really? Who?"

I shook my head, "It doesn't matter much. You wouldn't know him anyway."

With that, I just bowed and continued walking, while he I heard him shout, "I'll see you around Hisana-chan!". Wanting to go back to the office, I lifted my arm to signify I heard him and speed off.

"Sir?", Manaka's servant asked.

"I want to you find out more about Sakamoto Hisana.", he looked at the old man, and looked at her quickly retrieving figure, "Hisana..."

-TBC-


	8. The Smell of Chinese Incense

"Big Brother?", Rukia knocked at his bedroom door.

"..."

"I want to tell you that I am leaving for the human world tonight."

"Of course."

"If you can, please send Hisana-san my thanks for her help this morning."

Inside his room, he took a sharp intake of breath when his adoptive sister spoke HER name.

"..."

"She has helped me unconditionally this past month, making room in her days for my lessons even though she has lots of other work to do herself."

"...Sakamoto is a hard worker...yes.", he said, trying to keep his frustration at bay. Sakamoto's name should only be used for one woman...and it wasn't herself.

"And if you can, please tell her that she has been like an older sister to me-"

"Sakamoto is NOT your sister!", Byakuya boomed from the other side of the paper screen. Rukia flinched at his steely tone. "Remember that!"

"I'm sorry. I will leave you alone now big brother. Good night.", she said, and left for the gate.

The 28th head of the Kuchiki family and Captain of the Sixth Company looked at his shaking hands. He hadn't wanted to, but Byakuya could not help but just...HATE her. The more days that flew by, the more her personality resembled his late wife. They both showed the only gestures of care for him, stood up for his family, help others, loved his little sister...and now Rukia said that Sakamoto was like an older female sibling.

And...dare he say it, but Sakamoto was even more lovely than his wife.

But he never wanted anyone else to ruin the image of his Lady Hisana. He didn't want to forget any detail of his memories of those five years of his life. And certainly, Byakuya did not want the features of Hisana's face be replaced with his third seat officer.

_'And that is why I have to hate you.'_, he glared at the stack of paper she finished for him, fixing up the many errors she had made.

…

_The next morning... _

"Rukia left already?", I asked Renji, who nodded, "She could have said a goodbye..."

"Well she had Hollow duty in the Human world. She couldn't waste her time waiting to say bye to everybody."

"...True..."

"Sakamoto.", my Taicho looked at me through the door, "Get in here, I need a word with you."

I shrunk in size at his icy tone and stood up from my desk. My Captain turned on his heels and walked with purpose back into his own office. Renji's face offered a 'hope you make it' expression, and I just waved back at him.

I closed the door behind me, and stood in front of his sitting form.

He threw the stack of paperwork I did in between us.

"It's all wrong."

"...oh..."

"The time it took for me to correct all of the errors you've made was three times as long as it would have taken me to do it on my own."

I could do nothing but fidget with my hands on either side of me.

"I thought I did it right."

"Of course you did.", he stood up from his desk, and went over to a shelf lined with books, "Now, I'm telling you that it was all inaccurate."

"I'm sorry. I was really only trying to help-"

"Be quiet. I don't want to argue about this."

The raven hair threw six books in between us. He sat down again, and pulled back the paperwork beginning to cross out the things I wrote and fill in his own words. He didn't say anything else.

I didn't know what else to do but shut up. Why was it that I become so helpless with him?

He sighed, slammed down his pen and glared at me, "What are you waiting for? Do you want to waste more of my time with your stupidity? "

I swallowed down the lump in my throat and shook my head.

"Then you might want to start going over to the Thirteenth Division and give these to Ukitake."

I grabbed the books and bowed, dragging my feet to the exit. Everyone in the room was looking at me. They probably heard him mouth off.

"Cheer up kid.", Renji offered, but I just rushed past him.

Geez, he didn't have to poke me with mean words...and just when I thought we were getting along...honestly, what have I ever done?

_'I will not cry. I will not cry.'_

I composed myself before entering the Thirteenth Division, checking that my hair was not in disarray and my face was not red.

I knocked on the door of the Captain's office, to which he replied with a 'come in'. I was surprised to actually hear his voice today. With him being very sick most of the time, I've only met him briefly during the start of the new Shino Academy year. Otherwise, my visits to the 13th Division only led me become acquainted with the Third Seat Officers.

I bowed and placed the books from my Captain onto his dusty table, "These are from Kuchiki Taicho, sir."

He wearily smiled to me, "More paperwork for me to do...Thanks."

I laughed a little, and replied, "That's the life of a Captain from the Gotei Thirteen. Please don't get sick completing them!"

As I was in mid bow, he leaned over his seat and looked at me more closely, "You're that girl... something Hisana...right?"

"Sakamoto Hisana.", I confirmed.

He placed his brush down and nodded with understanding, "Tell me, is Byakuya bullying you or anything?"

I looked at him shocked. How did he know when this was the first time we've spoken to each other?

I denied it, trying to avoid accusing my Captain, "No."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah..."

He stared off into space, "I would think that he would, considering it's you..."

He spiked my curiosity, "Sir? Is there anything I should know about?"

"Well,", he started, "If you don't know now, then it's probably not in my place to tell you...So it's nothing."

He only added more questions in my mind. But I bowed anyway, and left the headquarters.

Walking down an empty alleyway instead of the main street gave me more time to think for myself and keep me away from my Taicho's yelling tongue, "It's nothing my butt...you've done nothing but make my mind go annoying..."

I opened my eyes wide when I felt figures walking behind me. But if anything through these past six and a half years knowing Kuchiki Byakuya, he's taught me to never let them know what you were thinking. Thus, I kept on with my walk.

_'Okay...this is just one person, as far as I can tell.'_, I thought to myself when I heard the movements of the person walk faster.

_'And he is obviously not skilled in sneaking around...'_

Taking three more steps, I quickly turned around and was about to kick the stalker, when I realized that it was some girl from Rukongai. I sighed and held my hands on my waist.

"First of all, don't sneak up on people like that again. Second of all, you shouldn't be in the Seireitei sweetie."

"I know."

I blinked and crouched down to her eye level, "Then why-"

I felt two strong arms behind lift me off the ground by my shoulders.

"What the?"

It was a hollow. I remember this hollow specifically back in my Academy lessons. It was a Grand Fisher. I couldn't even call a spell before the Hollow threw me into a hole and slam his big feet on my body.

_'Ahh...It's crushing me...'_, I panicked, before eventually passing out.

...

I didn't know how long I was unconscious for, but I shot up wide awake from a great deal of spiritual pressure.

_'Why didn't it eat me?'_, I asked myself, remembering the predicament I was in, and tried standing up.

A big beam of blue light shot through the air above me, and I gasped from the sudden attack. That was a kido spell, which meant that there was a soul reaper outside.

My eyes widened when I saw the black hair land down on his face, the movements from his haori falling back on his form, and the cold stare he gave to the surrounding dirt.

"T-Taicho...!"

"Get up, Sakamoto. We are leaving."

I knew I was in for another round of lecturing and shouting from him, and slowly stood up. A shadow caught my attention.

"Look out-!"

I felt Kuchiki Taicho being forcefully pushed into my smaller body. I began choking at the lack of air I was received from the outside world and the escaping air from my lungs.

I heard my Taicho grunting, searching for air as well with the tentacles around twisting and crushing the two of us together. His chest was muscled and rock solid from the training he's done since the start of time, which did not aid me from breathing very much, seeing that the Hollow's limbs were very very thick too.

I screamed when the walls contracted even more. I could hear the cackle of the Hollow behind me, and tried to look at it as much as possible when it pulled his out of the hole.

"What luck I've had today...that foolish Grand Fisher was careless enough to let me sneak behind him while he broke into the Seireitei. And then after using a strong reiatsu Shinigami to lure an even stronger Soul Reaper in, he was killed! Then, you all fell into my trap, letting your guard down.", it snickered.

"Now, with you two immobilized, I'll make a quick escape, and devour the both of you alive!"

I became lightheaded when the Hollow shot up into the air and carry us out of the Seireitei.

"Bakudo-", I wheezed, and was cut off by the Hollow slamming my head into a wall.

"Shut up!"

We've left the barriers of the center of the Soul Society, and was well into the sixth district of Rukongai. I felt something trickle down my temple. Blood.

I laid my head onto my Captain's upper chest, and closed my eyes.

"Don't ...fall...asleep.", the raven haired man wheezed.

"This is the second time today...that I've been crushed."

"..."

"I'm going to die."

"..."

"I'm so sorry Kuchiki...Taicho...that I got you into this..."

"...Sorry...?"

"_I'm sorry...Byakuya-sama..._

_that even in the end...I have to still depend on you..._

_and bring you grief._

_I'm sorry."_

I saw him shut his eyes tightly, and whispered out, "I'm...sorry...Taicho..."

"If you die here, I will never let you live it down.", he whispered.

All of a sudden, the grip the Hollow had on us loosened. We took the chance to breath as much as possible and fill back our lungs with the oxygen we so needed.

"Heh heh, be grateful that I've let you _Shittygami_ breath. For-"

He carried us into his mouth.

"It's the last time you ever will!"

I screamed as we were swallowed whole by the gigantic monster. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. This really IS the end.

...

"I couldn't even call a truce with Byakuya Taicho.", I cried.

...

"We're not dead yet...Sakamoto...", I heard him breath in my ear.

"...

...You're...", I closed my eyes and smiled, "...At least you can get out of here for us."

The slime of the Hollow's stomach coated us, and I wanted to puke. I could feel my clothing burn from the acid.

"Ow...", I whimpered.

I opened my eyes suddenly when my Taicho wrapped his arms around my shoulders and waist, gripping onto my clothed skin tightly.

My heart skipped a beat, and I complied by holding onto the wet white fabric of his haori and black hakama.

"Okay...", I quietly squeaked into his the crook of his neck and shoulder, taking in the scent of his Chinese incense like skin. "I'm ready..."

In response, with his chin pressed beside my temple, he declared:

"Scatter, Sebonzakura."

From the outside world, I could only guess that his zanpakuto- that he summoned to the area from the weapons room-pierced the monster, causing it to scream loudly.

I squeezed my eyes tightly to try to contain how painful my ears were bleeding from the shriek. We WERE inside it after all.

"Taicho..."

He hugged me tighter, "Don't worry, it won't last much longer..."

I felt the light from the sun hit my eyelids, and opened them. We were outside!

I was still in his arms as he picked up his sword and jumped into the air, and sliced off the mask the remains of the Hollow wore.

…

…

"Done."

...

Could you imagine an orange and yellow sunset backdrop, with cold snow gleaming from the light all around you? And you were in the arms of a man with a white scarf blowing in the wind, his hands holding the side of your waist closely holding you to his body. Your long hair was stuck onto your neck and his cheeks, your fingers holding onto his shoulders securely. And could you also feel so safe with his sword of destruction was held up in front of you two, blocking all danger and harm away from you. Can you imagine all that?

Well, I didn't have to imagine it. I, Third Seat Officer Sakamoto Hisana was LIVING this moment, with none other than my boss, Sixth Company Captain Byakuya Kuchiki.

-TBC-

**What do you think? It's my proudest chapter yet! :) Please comment! Criticism is welcome as well. **


	9. Mean, Old, Dead, Stupid Byakuya

**This is the ninth Chapter! It's more Byakuya and Hisana fluff. I think my fanfic should have more of it, since it IS a Byakuya x OC. Anyway...I don't have much to really talk about. So on with the story. **

**AND THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS COMMENTED AND ADDED ME TO FAVS AND ALERTS!**

**Important Fact About The Story! MUST READ!: I realized that there will be a bit of problem with Hisana Sakamoto's age consistency. Later on in the story you'll figure it out. But from now on, just keep in mind that Hisana is the same age as fifteen year old Ichigo Kurosaki, Iryuu Ishida, Orihime Inoue, etc., as we are currently in that time frame. In other words, the Rygo Arc is going to appear soon. OKAY? **

I was still holding on his broad shoulders tightly. My violet eyes were glistening in the sunset while looking up at my Captain who has now saved me four times already. Once was in the human world. Another time in the 5th District of Rukongai. And twice today, in the Seireitei, and out here. Where was here anyway?

His grasp was still on me too. And for a long while, we just stood like that, totally still. As time flew away, my cheeks began glowing red. Even though it was right in the middle of Winter, the cold air did nothing for my blush that slowly spread across my face.

Like me, Byakuya Taicho was drenched in the stinky smell of the Hollow's gastric acid. The clothes that he wore was totally damaged and decayed, to an extent that exceeded my uniform. He had covered his own body and clothes over mine so that the liquid inflicted more injuries on him than on me.

All in all, he looked horrible. But past the dirt and slime, I saw how defined his jaws were, and how strong his nose bridge was. His neck was thick, and what I realized was that his Adams apple that moved up and down his throat looked really interesting to me...for some odd reason.

Taicho's eyes were serious and heroic, making my eyes sparkle even more, if that was possible. I never even realized that his orbs were THAT gray blue. What a fascinating colour...

Snapping out of my gaze, I felt an little tingling sense underneath the palm of my hand that rested on his soaked shoulders. I lifted it up, and to my surprise, the acid from the Hollow's stomach was burning through my skin. I gasped.

With that burning hand, I tried to brush away all my jet black hair and his shorter locks out of his face and neck. He glanced down at me.

"What are you doing?", he questioned.

"Do you remember that you were covered in that water? That's gastric acid from a Hollow's stomach. It's used to break down the substances it eats to digest. And its still active."

I tried cleaning my other hand and wiped off the liquid from his forehead and temple, "If we keep it on you, it will continue to burn your skin, which can lead to a whole other world of infections and diseases."

He didn't say anything else for a while, which I took it to mean that he allowed me to clean him off. But then when my hand was placed over his left sided chest, he grabbed my wrist tightly.

I shot my eyes back at him, and blushed. He only looked at my palm.

Slowly, his hands let go of my waist and brushed it on top of my own.

"You are drenched in the acid as well."

"Oh...", I muttered, and continued

The process was pretty much unsuccessful, as you could have foretold. I could still see his clothing rotting away. I looked at the snow.

I stepped away from him, which forced the taller Shinigami to let go of my wrist. I walked around to find a bundle of clean white snow, and picked it up. Running over to my Sixth Company Taicho, I was about to slam the snow on his face and shoulders, but he step backward.

"What do you think you are going to do with that?"

I lowered my arms and blinked at him, "Snow is just water in a different state. We can use it to clean off."

"Sakamoto, your plan is very flawed. Have you ever thought about the coldness of the snow that will eventually freeze us over and cause sickness?", he put his sword into his sheath and dropped it down.

"Then what do we do?"

"...", he sighed, "We need to find a lake. A small pond by the least."

"...Wait, why not just go back to the Seireitei?"

He walked forward, "This is the Tenth District. It will take a long time for us to even reach the Fifth District, which is six hours away from Seireitei."

He turned his head to the side, "Do you think you can make it before you lose all your energy or die?"

I cringed and quickly followed him, "No, sir."

"This is your fault."

I looked down and stayed quiet. _'I knew it, he would yell at me eventually.' _

Surprisingly, that was all he said. There was nothing spoken between the two of us as I followed behind him. Maybe he thought that it wasn't my fault. Or maybe he knew that nothing could be said to me would make me stop disappointing him.

I sighed quietly, holding on to the fabric of my Shinigami robes that stung my skin, avoiding contact with it as much as possible.

Thankfully, the two of us heard the sound of running water and followed it. The closer we got to it, the more steam there was that thickened in the air.

'Is it a hot-"

Indeed it really was a hot spring. In the middle of the night, where it was minus something degrees Celsius in the Winter, and I was drenched in gastric acid and exhausted, the warm liquid was very alluring. As I was about to run over to the body of water to jump in, I remembered that my Captain was there.

"Taicho, you should go.", I reluctantly bowed to him and turned around, "I will start the camp fire."

"Sakamoto. Clean yourself up first."

In my mind, I was jumping for joy when he offered me to go first. But in the real world, I shook my head. "Taicho, you are by far more stressed and hurt than I am."

"Excuse me?", he barked.

"Huh?", I squeaked.

"What did you just call me? More hurt than you are? If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be in this situation!"

I shrunk in sized and bowed a bunch of times, "I'm sorry! I'm going to go and get firewood! And please leave your clothes on that rock so I can dry them off!"

Quickly running away, I wiped the sweat off of my forehead and sighed. Why did he have to be so scary?

"You darn Taicho...I was just trying to let you heal faster...go on a bite off my head just because I said the truth...", I huffed and exhaled. "I'm sorry Taicho. I shouldn't have said that about you...even though you're not here and you deserved it."

Around an hour of searching for firewood, I tiredly stuttered back to the area of the hot springs, and sighed at the atmosphere's warmth. I sat down, and began working on the fire. This was never an easy job for me. My stamina was moderate and lower than the other Shinigami like Shuuhei or my Taicho. However, considering the circumstances, my strength had begun to diminish ever since the Hollow squeezed the air out of my lungs.

But I knew that Taicho would yell at me and be MORE hurt if the fire wasn't there. So I tried my best to start a measly fire, and feed it with the dry wood to make it grow. Coughing from the air, I gave a small smile once I was satisfied with the size of the burning air. I set up a tent right beside it to hang our clothing to dry.

"It doesn't look great, but it'll hold off for the night...", I sighed and lifted myself up. I took off the outer black shirt of my hakama, and placed it over the wood. After holding my hand up to the fire to warm it up, I stood and walked to the hot spring.

I looked for the rock that housed my Taicho's clothing and walked toward it. But my Captain was no where in sight. I shrugged, too tired to question anything or talk to him, and grabbed his clothes to walk back to the fire.

I knew that with the still great amount of acid in Taicho's clothing, that he really was hurt a lot. And to be able to keep up the calm facade the entire day, it made me fond of him. Looking at my own skin, it was red and soar. I wonder if he was covered in burns and peeling skin right now. He probably was.

I squeezed out as much of the cold liquid as possible, and placed his Captain's uniform on the little fence. I yawned, too tired to do anything else, and laid back onto a big tree and closed my eyes, falling asleep.

I woke up from a large gust of wind blowing at me, and hugged myself. I wiped at my eyes and pouted. I have to get into that hot spring.

I got up and walked toward it the hot springs. Untying my sash around my waist, I wrapped it around my palm and placed it on the floor. I then took off the straw shoes on my feet, placed it beside the sash, following my cotton socks. I smiled at how free my feet felt, and quickly took off my top. Then, untying the thin string that bound the long large pants of my Shinigami uniform, I folded everything into a neat pile and sat it on top of a rock that was free of snow. Half naked now, I quickly took off my underwear and quietly splashed into the hot water. Unclasping the hook in front of my last piece of clothing, I threw my bra on top of the pile, and shook the hair tie holding the top half of my jet black locks back. Walking deeper into the water, the hot springs reached up to the base of my neck.

I smiled at how the heat of the water soothed the aches on my back and arms. It felt like it was healing my burns. I dunked my head in the water, combing my long hair with my fingers and swam back up to the surface.

"That felt great!", I smiled to myself, and swan around the large body of water, giggling at how I felt like a fish freely swimming. I was glad that for at least a little while, I was so free from my duties as a Shinigami, and from Renji's big pile of paperwork. I was also free from the daily training my Taicho forced everyone in the Company to do, and my ears didn't have to be soar from his ever increasing complaints Kuchiki Taicho had for me and Rukia.

The eyes that I kept closed shot open, and the hands I ran through the water froze. _'Kuchiki Taicho. Kuchiki Taicho. Kuchiki Taicho?' _

_'Wasn't Kuchiki Taicho here with me? And wasn't he in the...'_, I thought to myself and looked at the big field of water.

"Oh my gosh!", I screamed at the top of my lungs and ran to the pile of clothing I had. He was going to kill me!

I reached the white top of my uniform and grabbed for dear life, pushing my arms through the sleeves. I stopped in my tracks again.

Wait, I KNOW for sure that he wasn't at the fire camp, because he didn't know where it was and he wouldn't walk toward there undressed in all his naked glory. So he had to be in the hot springs.

..But the entire field of the hot springs was open to me, and he wasn't anywhere in sight. So where was he? He has GOT to be here somewhere...

"Taicho? Kuchiki Taicho?", I whispered, wearing on my bottom underwear and tying up the string of my white top.

I walked back to the deeper side of the water again, shouting out louder for my raven haired Captain.

"He didn't drown, did he?", I asked myself worriedly.

It was not impossible. At he was taller than me by a head and one third of a neck, but I could stand straight up and the water was at my shoulder level. If he was knocked unconscious, he could have easily fallen into the water, in which his head was far below the water...

"Taicho!", I dunked underwater and searched for him. It was too murky, I couldn't make out much of anything. My head went up to gasp for air again, and I began walking around the hot spring, hand wandering underneath the water to look for Byakuya.

"You can't be dead...", I cried, and moved for faster.

"Taicho...where are you? Don't scare me!"

I was met with more silence.

"Taicho!"

Oh my goodness, where WAS he? The tears started slipping down my eyes. I haven't been this scared since that last day I was in the human world. But this time I was even more scared, because Kuchiki Taicho was strong and could save me. This time, I couldn't find him...who was going to SAVE him?

"Taicho-!", I screamed and tripped over something. I fell under water and clumsily swam back up to retrieve air. My hand looked around for him, and it seemed that I grabbed his hair. I slowly went down lower, afraid that I may encounter...regions that were disallowed, and grabbed at his underarms. He was heavy, of course, so I had to drag him to the entrance of the hot spring.

After slipping over thousands of times, I finally pulled him to shore, letting only his upper body come in contact with air. I scampered over to his head and lightly slapped his left cheek.

"Taicho! Taicho?", I quietly spoke out.

I looked at his body, tattered in very harsh burns. I was right. The gastric acid of that Hollow probably DID make him pass out.

"Oh my goodness...how long were you under there? Taicho!"

My shouted proved to be useless after three minutes. He wouldn't wake up. I remembered something from a Health class back in Karakura High School. My teacher said, that...what was it? If a human brain does not receive oxygen within four minutes, the person would die.

I gasped and opened my Taicho's mouth, hovering my ear over it. I heard nothing. I placed a hand over his chest and began pushing down on it.

"...thirteen, fourteen, fifteen...", I checked his breathing with the same method before. Still nothing.

"Taicho...wake up! Please! If you don't...I'll have too...Taicho!", I yelled.

Trying the chest technique did nothing. He would not wake up. And his chest wasn't rising up and down either. He was breathing.

"Taicho...", the tears welled up my eyes, but did not fall.

"I hope Shinigami brains can tolerate longer periods of time without air..."

I sniffed, and pinched my Taicho's nose, opening up his mouth. My hands were shaking vigorously, with the decision I have made.

"Taicho, I'm sorry if you hate me after this...but...", I squeezed my eyes shut, and slowly...very slowing, placed my mouth over his. Beginning to breathe into his throat, I turned to the side, took in some more air and breathed in again. Repeating the horrible task at hand over and over again, I waited for the intake of breath Kuchiki Taicho would take.

I quickly lifted my flushed face up, and pushed down on his chest again. But, still...I couldn't still see him moving.

"Taicho...?", I whispered, and gave him mouth to mouth again, and chest pushes again. Then mouth to mouth, then chest pushes. One more time...mouth to mouth...chest pushes...

"thirteen...fourteen...fifteen..."

But why was he not breathing...?

"Kuchiki Taicho, you're not going to die...are you? You're not dead yet...right?", finally, the tears in my eyes fell down onto his neck.

Holding onto his arm and shoulder, I shook him, "Taicho...Taicho..."

I hit his chest, and like usual, he wasn't moving. I hit him again.

"Taicho...why are you not awake to yell at me..."

"You have to tell me how much of a waste of skin I am, and I have to cower at your feet and say sorry one thousand times."

"..."

"So why are you not awake?", I was full hardheartedly crying. I kept on hitting his chest my force stronger every second.

"This...

is all your fault! You could have just let me die there! I've died once already, it doesn't matter if it happens again! You have everything in life to live for!"

"You stupid! Stupid! Stupid Byakuya! You're so stupid...it makes me want to cry...!", I screamed and fell on his chest.

"Taicho...I don't want you to die...you're so stupid!"

I gave him one last hard punch to his rib cage, and continued to let the tears flow down my face.

…

…

…

...sniff

…

...sniff

...cough

I tensed up when I felt a hand on the base of my neck. I quickly turned to my Taicho's face, to see that he was coughing up a tonne of water. My eyes glistened with more tears when I saw his eyes open.

And I was crying tears of joy.

"Unacceptable...that you call me stupid."

"...You should fire me from the Gotei 13 just because of that...", I smiled.

"...I should...", he brought the other free hand and wiped the tears from my face, "But I won't."

"sniff...I was so scared that you would die Taicho...", I cried again and fell on his chest again.

"I don't die that easily Sakamoto."

"I don't know how long you were under water...and I was sure that the injuries you had overworked you...", I wiped the tears away with his hand, "I was too weak to protect you Taicho..."

"Hm...you DO need a little work with your guard...and defense...and offense...and everything else...", he stroked my cheek again, "But you're fine the way you are, girl."

For once in my life...I saw him lift up the ends of his mouth into a semi-smirk.

And that made me smile too, and cry some more.

"I promise you Kuchiki Taicho...", I laid my head over the flesh on top of his beating heart, "I'm going to train a lot more so that you don't have to be hurt anymore. I promise...!"

His heart, that I had my head over...slowly began beating faster and harder. I didn't even notice, I was just glad that I could hear it.

"Sakamoto."

"Yes?"

"The fast beating of my heart, can you hear it?"

I nodded.

"Well, it does not mean that I was touched or moved by your promise to protect me."

I blinked and lifted myself up from his chest. We stared at each other for who knew how long, until his eyes traveled down my collarbone, widened, and quickly looked away.

I didn't have to look. I just yelped a little bit and grabbed my clothing, running back to the campfire to get dressed.

"Sakamoto.", he shouted.

"Huh? Yes?", I shouted back.

"...I need my own clothes as well."

-TBC-

**Please comment!**


	10. The Moon Goes From Bright to Dark

**Yay! I've been waiting all week to type out this story! Sorry for not updating too much, I had a lot of tests and quizzes and assignments due in high school. Life of an eleventh grader. **

**Anyway, if you didn't read the note I wrote in chapter nine, it is pretty important to the plot of the play. Even though I say that Hisana is twenty one, and the Shinigami physical aging duration is longer, which makes the whole plot inconsistent, FROM NOW ON PLEASE NOTE THAT HISANA SAKAMOTO IS THE SAME AGE AS 15 YEAR OLD ICHIGO KUROSAKI, ORIHIME INOUE, and every one in Ichigo's grade! **

I had nothing to do but wait for Taicho to finish dressing. No matter how bored I was, I would rather let it rot me up before seeing my Captain again after that...unfortunate incident.

It wouldn't have been a problem if I was wearing the black outer coating of my Shinigami uniform. But I had left it up on the wooden fence to dry up, and only clothed my upper body with the white undershirt. And we all knew what happens to pure white fabric when it gets wet. If I was expecting it to get soaked up in water again, I would have never taken off the black shirt. But I didn't, so the nice moment Byakuya and I shared was totally destroyed when he looked...

I blushed and shook my head. The fact of what he could have seen just wouldn't get out of my mind. I tried slapping my cheeks and hugging my now fully clothed body closer, but it didn't work. I was going to have trouble talking and looking at him for the next few weeks, maybe even months.

"I assure you that I halted my eye movements before I saw anything, Sakamoto.", he sat opposite of the campfire.

I jumped a bit when I heard his voice out of nowhere. He was one of, if not the fastest shunpo user in the Seireitei, so I wouldn't be surprised that I didn't hear him walk to the campfire. All I did was sit back into the tree and blush even more.

"Really?", I squeaked out.

He nodded, "You have my word."

"That's good then...", I mumbled, feeling better by a lot but still a little freaked out.

Nothing was spoken between the two of us, and I excused myself to go to the hot spring and properly clean up.

"I'm still surprised that I can still think of bathing after that.", I said to myself when I jumped into the water. I looked up at the blue moon in the night sky. There were many stars out, and I cooed looking up at them. It was breathtaking.

_Back at the campfire..._

Tying my sash tightly around my waist, I walked back to Taicho, where I saw him frown while closing his eyes, his hand balled into fists against his temples.

"Taicho?", I sat down to his level, "Are the Hollow burns doing something?

He sighed, and dropped them onto his crossed lap, as he looked here and there a bit hesitant to answer, "Um...they are irritable...I suppose."

I tilted my head to the side, yet another thing that I've never seen him do: contemplate and feel nervous.

I stood up and looked around the field of snow. Miraculously I found what I needed and ran to it.

"I will be back Taicho!"

"What?"

I stared up at the big mountain in front of me and started climbing up it. Those always grow here.

"Sakamoto. What are you doing?"

I didn't turn back to look at him, afraid of losing my grip. "Wait! I'm almost there!"

Half an hour of crawling on the the slippery rocks later, I tried my best to go down the hill without slamming my head on pointed rocks and avoid any more tears appearing on my uniform. However, due to my lack of knowledge of climbing mountains, the new rips were inevitable.

I looked around for my Captain, the last time hearing him was at the base of the rocky hill. I lightly punched my back getting the knots out, and figured that the raven haired man went back to the only source of warmth in this forest. I grabbed a smooth round rock on the ground before running, eager to get back to the fire myself.

I quietly sat on the ground again, and took my now dry white undershirt. Folding it up into a thick fabric, I placed the things I found back up on the mountain on top of the fabric and began tearing it into shreds.

"Sakamoto, what are you doing?"

I stopped and looked at him, "Hold on Taicho...", I smiled and looked down once more. He didn't say anything else, instead looking at the fire.

I reached over to get two handfuls of clean snow, and shuffled over to the fire. As I held the snow in my hands right above the flames, I winced a few times at how the unbearable heat licked at my red skin. Melting it to the desired state, I quickly poured the water into the things I picked. I tore at the side of my white shirt and placed it on my lap. The final step was to take the rock, heat it up, and grind the ingredients.

I wiped my forehead, and stretched once the consistency was perfect. I took everything and carefully walked over to a resting Taicho. Sitting down in the formal sitting position, I spoke.

"Taicho, can you give me your arm?"

His eyes were still closed and he raised an eyebrow. In any case of his curiosity, he was much to exhausted to protest as he threw his right arm over to the side. I shyly took it and lifted the large black coloured sleeve up to show his muscles.

With the palm sized piece of fabric I tore, I rubbed some of the goo looking substance in it and smeared it across his biceps.

I felt his muscles relax as I continued to put some more of the barely moist substance on his wrist. He did not say anything at all during the first few minutes. I held his hands on top of my smaller palm and coaxed his calloused fingers with the medicine.

With the sleeve still rolled up to his shoulder, I reached over to take his other hand and continued the process. Still he did not say anything.

...And as I sort of leaned into his skin, I could smell his nice scent again, and smiled a bit as I worked on.

Finishing with his writing limbs I sat back and dunked my hands into the snow, allowing the cold to clear away the little pieces of crunched leaves. When I placed my hand in front of the fire to dry up, I caught movement in my Taicho's direction. Swiftly turning my neck to him, my cheeks flared up as he wormed his arms out of the haori and upper hakama. The fabric fell down his shoulders and uncovered his back. I backed away a little when he turned around to reveal his broad back to me.

"Um...", I whispered, and wiped my hands.

"Aren't you going to heal my back as well?", he stated in a non-questioning way.

"...Well...I wasn't actually planning to do that...only your arms.", I explained.

He paused, and I could only guess that he was embarrassed that I denied help. He began pulling back his haori, and I winced at how the big burns shifted about looking very gut wrenching.

I placed a hand on his spine and the other on his elbow, causing him to stop in his movements abruptly, like a game of frozen tag. I was the 'it' person, and Kuchiki Taicho had just been caught in my trap.

"Please hold still.", I spoke up and took up the ripped fabric again. He nodded and gently pulled his arm back, sitting comfortably.

As I moved across his shoulder blades, the feel of his strong flesh could be felt through the soaked fabric and on his fingers. I was amazed at how muscular Taicho actually was. Him being who he was, I knew that he would be macho like any other male Shinigami in Seireitei. But on top of his loose clothing he wore everyday, I couldn't see it. And now...to take in and study his back was really...

I closed my eyes and blushed. Picking up my speed, I managed to finish spreading the medicine over his entire back and placed my hand down.

He had been silent once again, and I spoke up, "Taicho, do you need it on your front...?"

He turned around and faced me. "I'll do that myself."

I nodded and gave him the cloth.

"You can sit here. I don't mind."

I halted in mid step and plopped down back to my seat beside him. I could feel my cheeks, once again, heating up again, and quickly turned ninety degrees to look at the fire, rather than directly at his body as he slowly smeared it across his torso.

_'Doesn't he mind doing this right in front of a girl? Or maybe that just how all men act?'_ I thought to myself, reminding myself of Ikkaku's behaviour around anyone.

"Sakamoto."

"Yes Taicho?"

"I've seen this type of medicine before."

"Oh."

"It is used by the Fourth Company."

"Oh, yeah, I remember too."

"...How could you have known how to make it?"

I sighed and hugged my knees, "Back at the Academy, I had always considered applying to become a seated officer in the Fourth Division. So I did a considerable amount of research and forced myself to remember a few of the handmade medicine found in the wild."

"This is a medicinal herb that can always be found on the oldest mountains. It was the first recipe that I ever taught myself. So I remember it quite well."

"..."

Not wanting to go back into quietness, I continued talking, "It's really not hard to make. Just find these plants-they have flecked stems and a smooth legged leaf with blue flowers-and add water, just enough to grind it into a really dry paste thing."

"...What excellent choice of words...'thing'...", he replied, and I gave him a deadpanned look when he didn't see.

"...It just felt right to use that word..."

I took in a breath and clenched my toes.

"...If you show that much work to enter the Fourth Division, I think that you could have beat the current Lieutenant out of her spot."

I noted that this was the first time he complemented me, "Thanks."

"My question to you now is...why did you NOT apply for the Division?"

I turned to look at him again, as wiped his neck, and I stared at his Adam's apple.

"It's because of you."

He immediately stopped and looked at me incredulously. If I had to say anything, he looked moved with his eyes sparkling in the fire.

"...Me?"

I shook my head, "It's not like it was because of any sort of romantic attraction I spontaneously grew for you Taicho. I've heard the gigantic amount of females falling for you."

He blinked a few times and asked me to continue.

"Taicho, do you remember back around three years ago, in my fifth year at the Academy?" You and Ichimaru Taicho were helping out a class of advanced students when the rise of Hollows occurred.", I looked at his eyes.

"...Somewhat."

"...You had always seemed to be oddly strict against me compared to everyone else, it was like that since the first time you saved me six years ago."

"...You...can still remember all those things?"

I smiled and nodded, "It may not have been a big deal for a Captain like you, always with the duty to protect. But I could remember everything.

Anyway, yes, I up until my fifth year, I wanted to be in the Fourth Division. But that class you and I sparred, and it didn't really end up that smoothly."

He remained quite.

"Of course, you beat me up because you were much stronger than me, and then you called me a waste of skin. That got me really angry, and I yelled at you. So I'm sorry about that."

He shook his head, "Everyone would act like that."

"It was crazy of me to say that, I know. But I humiliation that I went through was very rough. When you left, I promised myself that no one would ever insult me like how you did. I guess the amount of devotion I forced on myself to beat you was far greater than my will to be a Fourth Company Shinigami.

I figured that if I worked directly under you, I would have more chance to pick a fight. But Renji always stopped in and challenged you instead.", I laughed a little, "So now, here I am."

"..."

"..."

"If you still want to spar with me again.", he wiped his hands on his hakama, "You can."

I smiled and shook my head, "No don't want to anymore. That goal I had has died away."

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Really? And when did that happen?"

"Today. Just two hours ago."

"...What?"

I giggled, "Yes. Just a hours ago, I saw how much you risked yourself into to help me out. You've done it so many times now. Today, in the Hollow's stomach was the most heroic and sacrificing."

"...It was nothing."

"Then I saw how you were nearly killed because of my fault...your burns.", I sighed, "Only you and one other person, have ever risked that much to help me."

"..."

"I felt really bad at how I felt hatred to you. And I was touched because of you. So from then on, my goal became to protect you and relieve as much work and stress off your shoulders as much as I can. One day, Taicho..."

I smiled at him, "I'm going to grow up to protect you."

He stared at me, "Then you would have to work day and night for that to ever happen."

Slowly, a second smirk developed on his mouth, "You have no clue as to how much longer that determination of yours will last. For all I know, I think you would give up on it soon."

I pouted, "No Taicho! This is now officially my Shinigami life dream!"

"Yeah...right...", his smirk grew wider.

I don't know why, but I began to smile again, "You'll see."

He pulled back the top of his uniform, and I detached my eyes from his Adam's apple and looked up to the moon and stars. Silence engulfed us again.

"The stars are very pretty in the Soul Society.", I said.

"Cherry blossoms are nicer."

"No. the stars are. No matter what world we are in, cherry blossoms are always cherished. But the stars are often ignored."

"What's that got to do with anything."

"In the Human World, the city lights in Tokyo always block out the stars. It was no fun at all."

"So?"

"So, I think that the things that most of us don't care about least are the most prettiest things in life if we looked at it. Like stars."

"...That's stupid thinking."

"Aren't cherry blossoms stupid too then?"

"Sakamoto.", he growled, going back to his normal Taicho mode. I winced and apologized.

Then, once more, we remained quite. This this the first time I've ever been able to talk so much to him. I wanted to talk again. But he beat me this time.

"What is that?", he pointed to my finger.

I smiled, "Oh this?"

He nodded.

"It's a ring."

"Is that some sort of precious value in the Human World?"

"Well...some of it is. This one is VERY special.", I confirmed.

"It must cost a lot of money than."

"Actually...its worth about a market price for two rice balls."

"Pf. In what world is that valuable?"

I frowned at him, "Yes it does! You can never find another one like it! No matter how much you look around!"

"And explain why to your Taicho why something so cheap can cost so much money."

"It's not money that makes it worth a lot. It's the memories that I have with it and the receiver."

He stared at me, "Memories...?"

"Yes."

"Who gave it to you then, and why is it so important?"

I wiped away some of the steam that was on the ring, located on my left second middle finger, "Do you recall how I said that there was one more person who would risk their life to save me/"

He nodded, "Of course."

"Well, they gave this to me. It says 'KISH'. Those are acronyms. Doesn't it sound like KISS?"

"What relationship? Did they have with you."

I blushed and played around with the ring. I took in a deep breath.

"My first love."

He looked at me.

"My boyfriend."

"..."

"And my self proclaimed husband to be when we graduate high school."

At this point of time, Byakuya had completely stopped moving.

"But I died."

_'Hisana...died because of me. What was I doing?'_

"But there will be no one who will ever replace him in my heart...", I sighed to myself, not paying attention to how Byakuya clutched at his stomach.

_'Hisana...I had almost forgotten...what I promised to you...'_

"Sakamoto."

I smiled at him.

"You are right.", he glared at me and my eyes widened at the harsh tone. It was the worst yet.

"I DO resent you and I DO hate you."

My smile slowly dropped.

"What?"

"I don't want to repeat myself to you anymore. Nor do I care about your life and thoughts."

"...But-"

"Shut up. I'm sick of hearing your childish and impossible fantasies. If I were you, I would tear them apart instantly."

He got up, and shot a glare back at me, "Don't bother trying to 'help' me as you put it. I don't give a DAMN. Move out, I'm heading to Seireitei. Just go back to the useless third seat captain. Waste of skin."

With just that, he flash stepped away. I could only look at the air that used to be filled with his presence.

_'What just happened?'_, I cried in my thoughts.

And I waited for two more hours until he would come back. But Kuchiki Taicho never did.

With tears in my eyes, I realized that he won't be back to get me. I walked north, hugging my body tightly as I made my way to Seireitei.

-TBC-

**I had originally planned the ending of this chapter to be more happy. But its better like this. Please comment! And thank you to the supportive viewers!**


	11. Oneesan, I Miss You

**Well, as you read on, you'll figure out that this Chapter is about Hisana and her family, with, of course Byakuya along side with her, even though he was totally mean to her. **

**If you did not read the author's note in the last two chapters: ICHIGO KUROSAKI AND ORIHIME INUOE AND CHAD AND URYUU ISHIDA ARE FIFTEEN NOW AND ARE THE SAME AGE/LOOKING AGE WITH HISANA SAKAMOTO! Or else, the story won;t make sense much. **

In the beginning, when I first met Byakuya Kuchiki, I had thought of him as a mean, evil, cold-hearted, violence obsessed, and anti-Sakamoto Hisana bully.

Then, in the middle, I began warming up to his personality, and thought that he was not bad, cool, good hearted, smart, and a caring Taicho to me.

I thought wrong.

I realized that when I reached the gates of the Seireitei. He never came back to get me. I was forced to walk back 100 miles by myself. The trip was THAT long. And he didn't come back. And with nothing but rags to cover up my cold form, I easily caught a cold.

When I reached the gates, to the gate keeper, I asked when the latter had returned. He replied that that was hours ago.

I lived in the dormitories of the Sixth Company, far off to the other side of the offices, so I was glad that I would not cross paths with my Taicho. I received many strange looks from the other Soul Reapers. News spread quickly around here, and the ability for people to find out things that happened from as far as the 78th district in private was amazing. I lowered my head and speed walked as fast a possible to my room, not knowing how much they knew of the unfortunate incident between their third seat officer and their Sixth Company Captain.

The moment I stepped into my little apartment thing, I ran toward my closet, and then to the little bathroom I had. Taking my leisure to shower, I attempted to wash away the memories of last night and the coarse words of the raven haired Taicho out of my memory.

As I combed my hair in front of the table mirror, I tried to find anything that posed as a revolving asset on my face. I knew that I was not the most stunning female in the Seireitei, but I there wasn't hair growing under my nose or bushy eyebrows or a big nose or beastly appearance. Was it my personality? I got along fine with everyone though...

"What the heck was that all about then?", I grumbled, and placed some jasmine perfume on myself. For a while, I did nothing else but replay the message my Taicho gave to me. It did nothing but made me feel even worse.

Walking across the room, I hung up the wet towel I used, and opened up the closet again. I searched for a lacquered box Rangiku and Yachiru had given to me one fall festival, and pulled it out. I opened it up to reveal that everything was in its proper place.

"Makeup...", I whispered to myself.

It wasn't that I did not enjoy applying product on my face. I loved it actually. But sleep had been my main priority most of the time. If it wasn't for that and my laziness to apply anything but the sweet smell of jasmine on my skin, I would have made the time to use the makeup set the pink haired and orange haired fukutaicho presented to me.

The only times when I used these things was when I had nothing better off to do.

Right now was the perfect time for it.

The crickets began chirping as the moon replaced the sun in the sky. The parties that many Shinigami went to began, leaving me all alone in the building. I started putting some sort of naked coloured powder on face face first. I hummed a tune when I slowly started to wipe a little black eyeliner on my eyelids.

This was the worst part every time. It was LIQUID eyeliner mind you, which was the only one the two girls had provided in my kit. I had to constantly open my eyes for literally minutes as I occasionally poked the whites of my eyeballs. When I could no longer take it anymore, I let the tears that settled on my water line to pour down my face. This night was one of the times when I put on so much of the black makeup that when the eyeliner melted off, it went into both my eyes, causing it to be totally covered in black ink. It wasn't a nice sight to see.

I wiped away some of the dark tears off of my painted blood red lips. I looked like some sort of dead geisha coming back to kill, with my skin being awfully pale. I didn't even get the chance to clean out all of my eyes before the shoji doors slid open to reveal the bane of my existence accompanied by Renji in uniform.

"Yo Hisana!", the flaming haired boy shouted.

I snapped my head back at them, for I my back faced the entrance. My neck was unnaturally flexible, and to see some lady in a dark room, her head looking as if it was totally in the opposite direction, her face snow white, her lips smeared and blood red, and not to mention her eyes were all black eyeballs and heavy streaks coming down her face, her hair long and free...

"Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!", Renji shouted.

Even mean old Kuchiki Taicho looked taken back by the sudden sight.

"Wait!", I shouted at them and ran toward the door.

Renji fell down, and our Taicho took a few steps back, his head leaned as far away as it was allowed.

"Oh mother!", Renji shot out, jumping back on his feet.

"Sakamoto...this was NOT the way I left you last night...if I knew that was going to happen to you..."

"Taicho!", I whined, and wiped my face with the towel in my grasp, "There's nothing wrong with me! I was just trying to put on makeup."

"Is this the before of after?", they asked at the same time. I rolled my eyes, and walked back into the room, the two of them not far behind.

"Is there any reason why you're here?" I asked in the bathroom. Renji leaned on the door.

"Hell butterfly message. The three of us have to get to the Human Word immediately. There are masses of Hollows in Rukongai and over there just now."

"Isn't Rukia there?"

Byakuya stepped in to talk, "She is stationed in Karakura. The Hollows appeared in Naruki."

I stiffened at his voice and tied my hair up.

"To me, it all sounds like things that the Onmitsukido could do by themselves. But the entire Gotei 13 is on red alert.", Renji shrugged. I nodded, and took my uniform out.

"No time for that.", the shorter man of the two spoke, and shoved my zanpakuto in my hands, "You go like that."

I swallowed and slid the door shut behind me as the three of us flash stepped the the gates.

"Go through the gates immediately and don't turn back. Keep up your guard the moment you see the exit. Don't slow us down Sakamoto."

I frowned, "Yes sir."

Four minutes later, I heard the screech of a Hollow looked up.

"Howl Zabimaru!"

"Shout Wakahiru!"

"Your reaction is too slow Sakamoto."

"...I'm sorry if you hate me. But I guess it doesn't really matter since you do already."

"Focus, Sakamoto!'

I swore under my breath, but answered with a 'Yes sir' and jumped out of the gates following the raven haired man.

"Tsuki-", I was cut off when the Hollow I eyed was shot by a blue high energy arrow.

What?

"Hey!", Renji shouted from behind.

I saw the Captain's scattered petal blades retract and form a sword on his hilt again.

I small movement caught my eye from below on ground floor.

"Tsunami Fubuki no Ranmaru!", I shouted and directed two streams of a pink coloured light towards the mediocre sized Hollow.

My eyes widened when the exact same type of blue arrow shoot through the white mask and disintegrate the beast even before my zanpakuto attack could hit it. All my offense move caught were the disappearing fragments of the used to be Hollow.

I tried searching for the reiatsu of the person who had completed the job for us, but couldn't.

"What the heck was that?", Renji used shunpo to appear beside me, followed by Kuchiki Taicho who stood in between us.

I shook my head, "No idea. Taicho?"

"...I have my suspicions, but for what we can do now is stay stationed here for the next few nights."

Renji snarled, "I hate getting into those Gigai bodies. They restrict too many things."

"Well what can we do?", I sighed and looked around the place. Coming to think of it...this is the first time I've come back into the Real World in nearly seven years.

The following day, after entering into our designated temporary visible bodies, Kuchiki Taicho told us that we would stay as a group together, as Naruki was a relatively small town. Renji had insisted that we find the person who shot those arrows last night, but the shorter male said that the main priority was to reap Hollows as they came along.

For most of the next few days, I stayed quiet while Renji held spoke with Taicho, the former doing most of the talking. Naruki was composed of primarily five areas: the quiet houses, the greater and busier portion, the cemetery and the temple. For the last four days here, the three of us did nothing but wear sunglasses-provided by Renji-and look around everywhere and everyone, occupying benches and chairs for long hours causing civilians to glare at us for all directions.

Finally, on the last day in these Gigai bodies, two things happened. One we found literally ten Hollows, one after the other by the temple. When we all received the message on our Soul Detectors, they were all dead. This tells us something about the agility of us Shinigami to get urgent news out to protect living souls. Our Taicho decided by himself to report these incidents happening once we returned later in the day.

The second regarded me myself. I was totally taken off guard when I saw the face of someone I thought I would never see again in their lifetime.

The appearance of those Hollows happened very early in the morning, when the sun was barely peeking out of the horizon. As they were all in the area of the large Naruki temple, we decided to spend the rest of our day stationed there.

It was relatively quiet through the afternoon as more residents of Tokyo began flowing into the ancient architecture. From the corner of my eye, I noticed two familiar figures crossing the street in the direction of the temple. I swallowed a lump in my throat when I realized that the tall teenaged boy that held on the arm of his eighty year old grandfather really WAS someone from my life in the Human World.

I quickly jumped out of my end seat and squeezed in between my two male companions. Kuchiki Taicho seemed unfazed by my force of body contact while Renji made a few questioning sounds, but made some room for me anyway. Though at that moment in time I was still uncomfortable in Taicho's presence, I leaned into him and timidly hid behind his big shoulders.

"What's up Hisana?", Renji asked and looked around the field.

I shook my head and leaned even more into the raven haired Captain.

"Okay if it's nothing than why are you so pressed up against our Taicho?"

"Would you rather I lean into you then?", I huffed and took a peek past his leather jacket.

They were nearing the the base of the flight of steps. The base of the flight of steps were right beside us, very closely situated against each other. They wouldn't miss the three leather jacketed and shaded personnel sitting on the bench.

"Come one! Tell us Hisana!", Renji shook me. I pushed his arm away and held onto the thick fabric of the my Captain's jacket and covered my face into his arm's side.

"Hisana, what the heck?", Renji poked at me, "Oh Hisana!"

"Renji! I don't want you using that name!", I cried out and forced a firm grip on his arm.

At this point, Byakuya's head had bent down beside mine, "Sakamoto."

I took in a breath, "Taicho, I'm sorry to invade your personal space like this even though you hate me...but please...I can't let those people see me."

"The old man and the blonde dyed haired twerp?", Renji perked up. I winced at the loudness and nodded.

"...Why not?"

"Taicho...those people...", they slowly walked right in front of us, "...are my little brother and grandfather."

The two of them, for the sake of me, stayed quiet for the next few minutes. I squeezed my eyes shut to force away the threatening tears.

Slowly, I looked up from his arm and squeaked when Renji hesitantly made room for my old grandpa to sit down. The younger boy shot a look at me, to which I turned away from immediately.

I couldn't force myself to refrain from yet another squeak when my Taicho, slowly pulled me into his chest, his hand resting at the base of my skull.

And there he goes again with the gentle and sincere attitude toward me.

Why do you have to do this to me?

When he let go of me and stood up to walk away, I panicked and jumped on Renji. Renji poked at my shoulder.

"They're gone."

"...You're not joking are you?", I whispered in my smallest voice.

"I'm not joking."

I sighed and slowly pried myself off of a red faced Renji, "Thank you."

He collected his calm facade again and shrugged, "No problem."

"Although I should get annoyed when you kept on pestering me about what I was doing..."

"Hey! How was I supposed to know?"

"..."

"...okay..."

"..."

"...Um...why would you hide from them?"

I shook my head in a 'no'.

"...That doesn't answer my question at all...Don't you want to see them Hisana?"

"What would I do when I see them?"

"Well, you can always talk."

"Renji...", I frowned at him, "You should be the best person to know why I wouldn't even THINK of doing that. Can't you remember that I DIED in this world? I can't just walk up to them like that when I'm dead to them."

"...Sorry..."

"Besides...", I stared off into space, "I think for them to see my face would make them go into despair again. Spending one year after dying in their house, I've seen enough of that."

"...If you think that would make them move on with life...why would they still be visiting you to this day?"

I blinked a few times before shaking my head, "For all I know...they could probably be visiting it because of another dead relative. I don't remember having a memorial in Naruki."

We sat there quietly, awaiting the return of our Captain. All I hoped for was to leave this place as soon as possible. We sat there for who knows how long. I didn't bother following orders to search for Hollows anymore, and had Renji do that job for me, not caring if he was focused or daydreaming.

When Byakuya returned, a sigh of relief flew through me. I hoped he had some good news for me to sing along for.

Renji and I stood up to walk up to him.

"Taicho?", I asked.

"We leave in two hours."

"Yes sir.", Renji replied as I fidgeted, disappointed to hear that our time here was still prolonged.

My Taicho tuned his head to look at Renji running off without us. I was slow to react on that, but quickly turned my head in the stairs when I heard a chorus of gasps from the people around us.

At first, I saw a few oranges and incense slide down the steps. Then I looked up more to see that the red headed fukutaicho caught my grandfather by his shoulders before he could fall down the last flight of stairs. My little brother stumbled down the stairs clumsily, and I was tempted to shout out his name, Minoru, but refrained from doing so.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Byakuya slowly crouch down, and I followed his movements. E was picking up the oranges the had fallen in around our feet. I hesitated, but copied his movements. I hid behind my Taicho as he walked up the stairs and picked up the plastic bag from the cold ground. He turned to me slowly, and I dropped the oranges in quickly. Doing the same, he placed the refilled bag into the hands of the small man, and waited for Renji. The red head looked at me nervously, and I nodded, running down the stairs as quickly as possible in the frail body I was in.

My family was never the one to be good on their feet when panicking of hurrying things up. This trait followed all of us through our next lives and the next, never leaving us, as I learned back in my Academy years.

As I nearly tripped and fell face flat into the sharp corners of the stairs, rounding another chime of screams, I sighed when I caught my footing in time before anything could happen. But the shades I wore on my nose bridge fell instead, shattering the delicate lens. Renji was not going to be happy.

I managed to come down the stairs safely afterward, not letting anyone I didn't want to see my proper appearance. With my back facing the diminishing audience, I wanted until the two other Shinigami was at my side before speed walking away from the temple.

"Taicho, let's get out of here...", I whispered. Renji grunted while the man I directed my statement toward wordlessly answered my questions by zipping up his leather jacket.

To think that I would be able to successfully avoid my little brother and grandfather from seeing me as reckless, and impossible. But I allowed myself to think like that for a a few seconds, being optimistic.

The three of us were about to head down yet another set off stairs and to the trains, but I tensed when I heard the loud and desperate running of someone. Oh no...don't tell me...

I gasped when I heard these words spoken out from the voice of a matured boy I once knew...

"Hisana!"

I completely came to a halt, but the two males kept on walking a little bit more, before they turned around to look at me.

Despite stopping, I didn't look back at the teenager.

'Please, just go...'

"You...", he panted heavily.

'I'm not going to turn back...'

"What is it twerp?", Renji muttered under his breath, and tried to help by pulling me forward.

"Stop!", he shouted.

The next thing I knew was that he stood in front of me, his eyes wide, to make sure that the person, me, had the face of his old sister.

"So it WAS you...", he whispered.

"Hey...let go of her.", Renji shouted, and held the blonde haired boy's shoulder.

Like I expected, the stubborn boy would not just step back, and shoved Renji's arm off of him. He then looked back at me with the same eyes I inherited.

"What the-hey kid!", Renji shouted back.

"Shut up!"

"You-!"

"Renji...", my Taicho spoke up, and shook his head, pointing his finger to the eyes the bystanders gave us.

I could feel both of pairs of eyes on me, but I didn't look back. The younger boy standing in front of me blocked my entire view.

I took in a breath I had been looking for and blinked.

"You're...", I started.

"Sakamoto Minoru...can't you remember?", he frowned at me.

"...Pardon m-me?"

He pointed a finger at the temple, "That's our grandfather..."

I was speechless, and deprived of air again.

"Let's go guys...", Renji muttered and held my hand pulling me out of my dilemma.

"Don't TOUCH her!"

"Look here, you little punk..."

"Renji...it's...okay...", I held a hand on his arm and shook my head. Byakuya still looked on saying nothing else.

I turned to the 'stranger', and put on the best happy smile that I could.

"I'm sorry Minoru-kun, was that your name? You've got the wrong person-"

"That's the SAME smile...and the same name you gave me...", he shook.

I took a step back, "No..I think-"

"Nee-san...!", he cried and ran up, enveloping me in a longing embrace.

"No...kid look...", I stuttered, looking back and forth a nothing, not knowing what to do.

"You're...my...nee-san...

...Hisana nee-san...", he held onto me harder and allowed his frustration to flow out completely.

"Hey...you're a big boy now...stop crying...", I whispered, and looked at my Taicho. He only stared back and let out a small sigh.

To think that I could avoid my little brother, the boy that knew me as well as the back of his hand, was honestly reckless. To think that I could try to hold back the tears in my body as he hugged me crying was even more foolish and one of the worst lies I could ever think up.

-TBC-

Okay, this chapter was slow...bear with me. I'll update tomorrow too, if the Internet at my house works. Please comment!


	12. Sorry Thanks Ur Welcome Chinese Incense

**I didn't really update much did I? Anyway thank you everyone who had supported my work up until now! Please continue to!**

**I'm too lazy to type down the important age notice, so PLEASE read it in one of the last three chapters...**

**Please comment!**

The sun was setting behind the vast body of water. The wind blew calmly into the trees nearby. All that could be heard was the soft water moving into shore and its waves crashing into the boulders that have been worn down by the sea.

The three of us, Kuchiki Taicho, Renji and me myself, stood in front of this nice old view. It had been a while since we had returned back to the Seireitei. I had nothing better to do than just sit on on of the highest rocks and just gaze at the shimmering waters.

I didn't know if the field of liquid in front of me was a lake or a river or maybe a sea or an ocean. It didn't really matter anyway. I won't bother finding out. My thoughts were far off of this world as I thought back to Minoru.

"Taicho...", Renji, who looked on at my Shinigami uniform from behind started talking, "What should we do?"

The man sitting on the same boulder closed his eyes and shook his head.

"But...she looks totally down..."

"We can do nothing...but look on."

"I've never seen her this dazed or sad before. It's unnerving..."

The oldest of the three said nothing else.

He didn't know that I heard every word of their short conversation about me. The wind had carried the sound waves over to my ears. I didn't do anything to show that I did either. The last cold of the winter season hit my body at full force, but I didn't budge. It didn't matter if I got sick. Nothing mattered much to me anymore.

"_Sit down. Sit down.", the old man whispered and ushered the three of us to take a seat. _

_None of us were quite in the mood to do so considering the tension filled aura around, but did as we were gently told to, hesitantly might I add._

_Minoru scooted himself closer to me on the stone bench that we shared. Renji, who himself sat on another two person seat with Byakuya looked suspiciously at the blonde boy beside him. Our Taicho payed us no attention, and looked at the moving bodies of Tokyo citizens. _

"_Where is it? Where is it...?", the old man asked himself, looking around in the plastic bag he carried. _

_Minoru sighed and pulled out the knapsack on his back, rummaging through the largest pocket. _

"_Grandpa, you're looking for the other plate right?", he suggested. _

"_Yes. Yes."_

"_Here.", the younger boy of group stood up and reached over to his old sibling's side of the table. When he sat down again, he sat down in a way that made himself closer to my body. Renji noticed, and glared harder. _

"_Yo kid, would you mind sitting a bit further away from her?"_

_The teenager glared back at the red head, "I'm not doing anything."_

"_...It's fine.", I laughed a little and reached over to Renji's hand on the cement table. _

_My little brother blocked my hand's supporting direction toward Renji by holding onto it with his left arm, patting it with his right hand. He grinned a little. _

"_Nee-san is a nice person."_

_I smiled at the comments he used to make to me when I was still alive, and ruffled his hair, "I'm trying to stop you from getting into a fist fight with the toughest men out there."_

_His grin brightened even more at the contact, replied, "Not as tough as me."_

"_You little...respect your elders!"_

"_Shut up."_

_Our Taicho looked at the Sixth Company Lieutenant sternly, causing Renji to calm down a bit. Minoru turned back to me, smiling as wide as ever. My eyes softened a bit. _

"_Here. Here.", the raspy voice of the old man spoke up. He pushed the plate of cut oranges into the center. _

_Renji looked at him, "Huh?"_

"_Eat...", he smiled and pushed it towards us even more. _

"_Well, okay!", Renji answered and dived at the fruit, swallowing it down quickly. _

_Grandpa laughed a little. Byakuya looked disapprovingly at Renji's behaviour, and did not touch the food offered. _

"_You should eat too.", the older looking man looked at Byakuya. The aged man picked up a slice of orange and handed it over the the raven haired man. _

_Byakuya looked at the orange as I looked nervously on. Surprisingly, the stoic Captain of the Gotei 13 slowly reached out for the fruit, holding it with both of his hands. _

"_Thank you.", he bowed slightly at my grandpa. He began unbending it and bit on one end. _

_The old man only smiled and patted Taicho's shoulder encouragingly. _

_Renji and I looked curiously at our Captain, fascinated that someone as highly ranked and noble as him would actually be that respectful to an ordinary old human._

"_Eat.", the blonde boy, who still held onto my hand, held the last slice of orange out in front of me. _

_I shook my head, "You go and eat it."_

"_I bet you like oranges.", Minoru smiled and placed it on my hand he held onto. _

"_...And how did you know that?", I laughed, and shoved it into his hands again, to which he didn't oppose, considering that it was me. _

"_Wow...you're a mind reader or something...?", Renji said half halfheartedly and dived at the next set of oranges the older human cut out. _

"_No, and you're stupid to think so.", the blonde scoffed at my fukutaicho, "I know that because my Onee-san loved oranges when I was younger."_

_To this comment, I tensed a little, and so did everyone else around the table. _

"_She loved a lot of things. She was special that way...she could love anything in the world. But oranges were definitely her favorite food. That's why I love it too.", Minoru closed his eyes and smiled. Renji stayed silent, looking at me._

"_...If you like it that much...", I smiled and let go of his hand, "Then you should eat it."_

"_Okay...if you want me to, then I will Nee-san!"_

"_I'm not your sister."_

"_I don't think so either.", Renji chirped in. _

"_...I think that you are. At the least...you two have some sort of connection.", Minoru looked at me seriously. _

"_I don't..."_

"_Well, then why did we meet today? Out of all the days in the year?"_

"_What are you talking about?", I asked._

"_Here you go.", my grandfather smiled and spoke in his raspy voice gently. He held out a large slice of orange out to me, his hands were shaking._

_I never recalled him being a senior that shook violently from old age. I looked at him timidly and smiled, taking the orange and biting into it. He nodded his head, never taking his eyes off of me. _

"_I'm sorry if my grandson comes on as a persistent and bothersome boy my dear."_

"_Grandpa!", Minoru whined and cradled his head in his arms. _

"_No, no! He isn't!", I protested softly, shaking my head. _

"_You are a very sweet child..."_

"_Thank you...", I smiled meekly at the thoughtful man. _

_He was always like that to me. And I remembered, when news of my death reached his ears that winter nearly seven years ago, he did nothing but look at my portrait for hours. Those two had been the most devastated in the family, even more than my mother and father combined. _

"_Please don't mind my asking...but I missed your name.", he whispered to me._

_Shoot._

"_Oh! My name...", I laughed nervously at the two other Shinigami. Minoru perked up and looked at me. _

_'Help me...' I thought to them, hoping that somehow my cry for help could reach them. _

"_...", Renji slowly looked away, as did my Taicho. _

_'…! You...traitors!', I thought to myself._

"_Nee-san?", Minoru blinked at me. _

_I nervously smiled, and swallowed. _

"_Well, my name is...To...ko?"_

"_Toko...", the aged man nodded thoughtfully, and smiled. _

"_Okay...Toko nee-san...what's your family name then?"_

_I began sweating again, and looked at the two other Shinigami, who in turn avoided all eye contact again. _

_'Hmph! Fine!' _

"_It's...Abarai! Abarai Toko."_

_Renji snapped his head right at me, surprised that I used his own last name for my alias. _

"_Oh okay! But no offense...Abarai is a pretty weird name...its too ugly for a really pretty girl like you."_

_At Minoru's comment, Renji snapped his attention to the youngest person present. _

_I stuck a tongue out at him quickly. He was probably cursing the Sakamoto family right now. _

"_Yes it IS quite an odd name.", I scratched my chin._

"_You know what would suit you? Sakamoto."_

_Renji nearly took a spit take with the oranges in his mouth, hearing what the blonde's statement. _

_Tension enjoyed coming in and out on us, as it swept over me once those words were spoken out. _

"_Nee-san...", he took a grip on my hands again. _

"_I'm not your Nee-san, Minoru."_

"_Then why is it that you look so much like her?"_

"_Minoru...", the aged man raised his voice one octave higher. _

"_Grandpa, why is he getting so worked up? Is he always like this?", Renji directed his eyes to the old man. _

"_No, not like this. He never acts like this...not anymore.", he shook his head. _

"_Then why are you like this?", the red head growled. _

"_...Today is my granddaughter...his older sister's death day. That is why he acts like so..."_

_I gasped and looked at the two Sixth company officers. Renji gave me the bewildered stare, and I reflected his feelings perfectly. Our Taicho looked at Minoru with an almost sympathetic look. _

"_...I'm so...I mean...I didn't even know about this day."_

_Minoru swallowed, "She died six years ago in a car accident. Her class was on a school bus coming back home from a mountain trip. There was a truck driver, who was totally wasted from alcohol. It hit the vehicle my sister was in..."_

_He held onto my hand again, and began shaking, "All of them got out before the two cars could explode, but when it did-I wasn't actually there, this was what the policeman said was the bus driver's story-she was flung over the metal ledge with her...boyfriend."_

_We all saw that he would not be able to speak anymore, so his grandfather continued, "The two of them were holding onto the bus driver, who was on the verge of falling down himself. Her classmate's hand, the hand that took five whole months to heal, was the one that held onto my granddaughter. And...being the person that she was-"_

"_It was the most sacrificing she ever did. Hisana nee-san wasn't a selfish person. At such a desperate time in her life, she took other people's priority and safety over her own. She just let go of her boyfriend's arm no matter how hard he protested._

_By the time the police had found..."_

_Minoru was shaking uncontrollably now, and I couldn't see his eyes, hooded by his hair. _

"_By the time...they found...her...her...body...it was almost beyond recognition for anyone to tell that it was her. They had to do DNA testing to actually make sure that it was my sister. THAT was how badly her body took damage."_

_I whispered an I'm sorry and petted his head. Renji stayed silent throughout the replay of my death. My little brother took in large breaths and wiped his face, regaining a little bit of his composure. He then weakly smiled at me._

"_You really DO look like her Toko nee-san. It's like I'm actually looking at my sister again in person.", he chuckled, "It's pretty weird that we meet today out of all the days of the year."_

_He placed the backpack he carried around on the table, "This was my sister's present to me on my elementary graduation. I was like...a little twerp back than, only as tall as four feet something. And she gave me THIS! Right on the morning at school, when all of us were lining up to get our certificate. She just forced me to wear it then."_

_How much did you want to bet that Minoru always had that backpack on him everyday since my death?_

_Renji encouragingly laughed and said what an embarrassing sister that would be like. _

"_She would making everyone joke about me sometimes when she came to my class, yeah. But they all liked her. She was really pretty, and smart too, and kind...that's why I loved her so much."_

_I looked at him again as he took out his wallet. He pulled out a picture. _

"_This was Hisana nee-san.", he placed the picture right beside my face and I looked at him worriedly. _

"_I was right, they DO look exactly the same."_

_Renji squirmed in his seat as Kuchiki Taicho looked straight at me, his thoughts I wasn't able to read. _

_I looked over at Minoru again as I saw him place the picture down, sobbing lightly, "I'm sorry Toko nee-san, to put you on the spot like that. I hope you don't hate me."_

"_It's just that I wish that my sister was still with me now alive. I wish like that all the time now..."_

_He totally broke down by then once more. Looking over at grandpa, he tried to put on some sort of smile as he passed the remaining bag of oranges to the raven haired Captain, who could do nothing but accept it for me. _

_Grandpa had a troubled face, biting onto his curled in lips and squinting his eyes nearly shut. _

"_Minoru...Grandpa...don't worry about Hisana anymore, there's no point in mourning for someone that cannot come back to life."_

"_Nee-san..."_

"_Please...stop crying...Hisana wouldn't want to see you like this."_

"_My apologies Toko and her friends...I'm sorry."_

"_Grandpa..."_

"_My poor granddaughter. I'm sorry."_

_A wave of pain hit at my chest. I looked at the two mourning people and curled my fists._

"_I'm sorry, but the three of us must go.", I mumbled and stood up. Minoru quickly looked up at me. _

_I placed a hand on his head, "Take care of your grandfather kid. And move on with your life. You're not the dead one."_

_With a bow at my grandfather, I pulled the Renji forward, my Taicho threw away the remains of oranges. He quickly bowed and wished the aged man a safe trip home before walking briskly and quickly behind Renji's stumbling form. _

"_Sakamoto."_

"_Yes Taicho?"_

"_..."_

_I turned to him with a questioning glance, "What is it Taicho? Didn't you say that we have to get back to the Seireitei?"_

_He looked serious with the bag of oranges held securely in his hand, "I can spare us a longer moment with Minoru and your Grandfather."_

_We all looked back at the stone table. The aged man stood up and walked over to Minoru's backpack, the dyed hair boy looking at us directly. _

_Swallowing, I replied, "Thank you, Kuchiki Taicho, but...do you guys see now why I didn't want them to see my face again?"_

_We entered a secluded area once after returning the bodies of our Gigai. I pulled my zanpakuto sheath closer to my waist and opened the gates to enter back into the world that I belonged to now. _

It didn't bother me how the wind blew harshly against my form. I just kept on reminding myself of how pained Minoru looked to see just his sister's face again.

"Hisana...I have to head back now.", Renji placed a hand on my shoulder, making me jump. I nodded and told him that I would sit here a little while longer.

I sat there on that boulder thinking back on the life I had when I was a living human being. There weren't many good memories that were established between me and my family. We did nothing much together, the vacations were unmemorable and most of the time we just went on doing the things that we wanted to do.

But those times I stayed with Minoru were apparently precious to him and our grandfather. If they would just weight less on the value of the things we did together, then maybe they could have moved on easily like many other people I knew.

"...Tell me what you are thinking.", a deep voice spoke beside me.

I gasped and turned over to the voice, so that I would be looking at Taicho's soft scarf..

"Taicho! I thought that you went back to the barracks already."

"I wouldn't be such a fool to leave my depressed and too emotional third seat alone in front of a sea of water, knowing well that she may attempt to drown herself."

I raised an eyebrow at him and sighed, "Why does everyone think so much of me dying? It's just a useless Shinigami that died in the Human World, who even now can't take care of herself."

"You must not belittle yourself to such low standards Sakamoto."

"...Out of everyone...I would think that you would be the last person to care about my life."

"I am a serious and mature person, not a heartless and evil jerk."

I smiled a little bit, "You sure were acting like that other night in Rukongai."

"I had my reasons for acting like so...I'm sorry."

...

…

Huh?

"_What?_"

"I will not repeat myself Sakamoto."

"K-Kuchiki Taicho! Oh my goodness! That was the first time I've heard you say those words!"

"..."

"I wasn't dreaming was I? Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness!"

He glared at me, "I recall that asked you a question. What were you thinking about?"

"...Right."

I looked back out at the sunset and stayed quiet, finding the proper words to answer my Taicho's request.

"The last thought on my mind was like I said before. I'm not someone that people should waste tears on for one day or even seven years. It makes me so frustrated when I see them cry over me.

...I can't stand the pity and hurt."

"Tell me one thing then."

"Yes?"

"When you thought that I had drowned to death, why were you crying?"

"...Because you died...?"

"...No...that isn't the right answer."

"I was sad because Taicho had died a tragic death for someone else, and because I thought you left all of us."

"That was the right answer. And would you not think that your brother would have felt that way toward your death like you with me?"

"But you're a nobleman Taicho. You have a lot to live for and many people look up to you. Without you, we would all be lost."

"Yes, I am a nobleman. And yes, I have many things set out for my future. But you are the same."

"No I'm not."

"Sakamoto, you may not see it because you are a dense girl, but many people care much about you. Your modesty prevents you from seeing that.

Renji would miss you and the paperwork you did for him,

Rukia, I assure you, would be lost and hurt if you died,

the other officers will be saddened and despaired,

when the new Shino Academy recruits come in, you will still see more people looking up to you,

...and I would mourn over the death of a reliable subordinate."

I smiled and scoffed, "Most of the thing you are saying I think are sugar coated and blown up. I KNOW that you would not miss me. You said that you hated me."

"..."

"Taicho, you are nice to me at some points and then become totally bashful most of the time. Do you hate me or like me?"

"You are alright Sakamoto. I do not hate you, those words I uttered out were due to a tidal wave of memories from fifty years ago."

"..."

"Anyway, you have many things to live for. Understand that you...", he patted my shoulder, "are a worthy person for everyone to care and cry for."

And there he goes with being a nice guy again.

But he took back those words from that night in the forest. So I suppose that things are fine with me and Kuchiki Taicho.

As he stood in front of me and said that the two of us would walk back to the Sixth Division barracks, he promised that he would not leave me alone like last time.

"Kuchiki Taicho."

"What is it?"

"I'm never going to see Minoru and my Grandfather ever again."

"...That is alright."

"But..."

Tears began to well up my eyes again. But it wasn't over my family or self hate or frustration. Not anything like that at all.

I was simply touched that my Taicho would help me see myself as a better person.

"...Thank you.", I lowered my eyes to look at our sandals, fully standing up.

Slowly...I didn't even know if it was because of the force of the wind or Taicho's hands at the back of my head...

...but my head was pulled into his warm chest, and I could smell again the soft scent of Chinese incense.

"You're welcome."

-TBC-

**Please comment! Thank you for reading! I'll update soon! I promise! **


	13. Get This Out There!

**Um...here's the next chapter. And remember that HISANA SAKAMOTO AND ORIHIME INUOE ARE THE SAME AGES!**

**Ichigo and the others that break into the Soul Society will show up in two chapters, if not the next one. **

**Please Review! And don't forget this story! **

"What is this?", Renji asked our boss and stared at the piece of paper.

"It looks like some sort of profile form.", I said and glanced over the blue sheet of paper.

"Yes."

We looked back at our seated Sixth Division Taicho.

"The new recruitment of 6th year Academy students for Gotei 13 starts today. The highest ranking officers in each Company fill have to fill out this sheet of paper and go to the

"I thought that was only for the Captains and Lieutenants.", I tilted my head and looked at the raven haired man.

"Along with these sheets of paper, I was told that you were a special request from the Academy to appear at the fair."

'..."

"...That's all that was told."

"Oh...alright. I'll go fill these out then."

"Of course."

"Me too. We'll see you in one hour Taicho!"

"And I expect that you will finish these by the expected time Abarai, that's why I gave you short notice."

"...Yes Taicho."

"Oh, Taicho!", I popped my head back into his large office, "I left a bowl of bananas outside your room please for you."

He closed his eyes and nodded, which I took for a 'thank you' and smiled happily.

"What's with you Hisana? Usually you are the one Taicho picks on is you, not me. And why are you so happy?"

I smiled and closed our office door behind us and sat down on my seat, "Well, Taicho didn't yell at me! That's a good reason to be joyful already, right?"

He eyed me suspiciously, "Fine. I'll leave it at that, Miss Here Are Some Fruit I Brought For You Taicho/"

"You're just sour because you got yelled at rightfully!"

"Why-do your work Hisana! That's an order from your Assistant Captain!"

I stuck out my tongue, but listened to him otherwise.

Name: Sakamoto Hisana

Birthday:

"Oi! Why do they need out birthdays?"

"I don't know...let's just right it down anyway."

"Fine."

Birthday: October 27

Gender: Female

Height: 160 cm

Weight: 48 kg

Occupation: Sixth Division Third Seat Officer in Gotei 13

Length of Current Occupation: Nearly one year

Partner: Abarai Fukutaicho, Kuchiki Taicho

Affiliation: Gotei 13, Seireitei

Length of Affiliation: Nearly seven years

Education: Shino Academy

Zanpakuto: Wakahiru

"Is it just me or are these questions a bit too personal?"

I looked at the next sets of questions and sweatdropped, "Yes they are. That's what we get from the Shinigami Women's Association."

Family: none in the Soul Society

Were you born in the Soul Society? If yes, where?: No

Were you born in the Human World? If yes, where were you sent to?: Yes, First District of Rukongai

Hair colour: Black

Eye colour: Brown

Status: It's complicated

Favourite food: Southeast Asian cuisines, green tea ice cream, strawberry ice cream

Favourite drink: Mango smoothie, cold tea, water, root beer

Favourite Captain:

"Oh my goodness, I'm getting tired of theses questions!", I whined, Renji sighing with me as well.

"Who are you putting as your favourite Captain Hisana?"

"...I have no idea. I WOULD put Kuchiki Taicho, but it's weird saying that."

"Hm. I'm putting him down anyway, because, you know, he's our Captain."

"I'll put down Ukitake Taicho."

"No! Are you crazy? He'll have your head for that!"

I winced at his sudden explosion, and wrote down our Taicho's name as he somewhat implied.

For who knows how much longer, Renji and I completed the much too detailed sheet of paper, and headed outside toward the other end of the Seireitei where the Academy would be located in.

When we reached our destination, I handed the three sheets of paper to one of the unseated officers from the Ninth Division and quickly bowed, causing the male to blush. I stared questionably as another unseated officer, this time from the Fourth Division open the doors for us, even though it was already opened. That person was as well shaking and shying away from us.

I was the last of the three to enter the large open field. Many of the students were not even in their final years in the Academy were present, as I realized, seeing some of the familiar faces. When they noticed us come in, they began gasping, and jumping up and down. I raised an eyebrow when I actually saw a group of girls blushing as they looked after the raven haired Taicho's moving form.

"Now I get it...they're all excited to see our Taicho...", Renji waited for me and whispered.

"I guess they would. Even I thought that he was good looking when I saw him."

"What about me?"

"Oh right, you Renji, are cool and the best."

"Hm. That's nice to hear.", Renji smirked. I smiled and shook my head. We were directed to sit on one chair in front of an interviewer from the Ninth Division. Kuchiki Taicho sat on the right of my seat, Renji on the left.

"Third Seat Officer Sakamoto!", I jumped when a boy with very deep blue-nearly black-hair bowed at me, his back parallel to the floor.

"I-it's a great honour to be your interviewer! Third Seat Officer Sakamoto! You have been a great role model for me! I cannot tell you how truly grateful I am to be alive, Third Seat Officer Sakamoto!"

He stayed in that position, even when he seemed to be finished with his introduction. I smiled nervously and looked around the ever increasingly crowded room. Renji was snickering at me, while Shuuhei and Izuru smiled at me, speaking with each other as they waited for their interviewer to set up.

"Look Hisa Hisa! That guy has a crush on Hisa-chan!", Yachiru stood on her seat, pointing at the still frozen boy. 'Hisa Hisa' was her nickname for Shuuhei, and because Hisagi and Hisana were quite similar in sound, the pink haired girl forced the name if 'Hisa- chan' on me. It caused somewhat of a discomfort for the two of his when she even referred to us as being a couple.

"Hey Kenny! He's frozen or something! He's caught in Hisa-chan's seductive trap!", she bounced up and down her chair while a lady tried to calm her down back into her seat.

"Yachiru Fukutaicho!", I frowned and glared at a laughing Renji, sticking my tongue out at him. He pointed at the Shinigami.

I blinked and rubbed my arm awkwardly. The male Shinigami was still in the same position, even when the Eleventh Company Lieutenant teased him like that. I felt a little sorry for him when I saw him fidget with his hakama pants, his toes curling in his socks.

I sighed and put on an encouraging and nice smile, and then crouched over to him in my lacquered chair. I placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently, causing him to tense up. He slowly turned his head to look up at me, a red flush developing on his cheeks at the close proximity on his face to mine. He was look to be a fourteen year old, in human years, which was Minoru's age. His eyes had the same optimism and space cadet feeling my little brother has.

My smile widened as I told him to stop bowing, "Stand with more self dignity next time, okay?"

He took in a deep breath and swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded vigorously, "Yes! I mean...yes, Third Seat officers Sakamoto.", he replied and sat down quickly on his own seat in front of me.

"I didn't ask what your name was. May I ask what it is?"

"Kawasaki Hyoe, third Seat Officer Sakamoto."

I shook my head still lightly smiling, "Don't call me Third Seat Officer Sakamoto! Hisana is fine."

"Yes! I mean...yes, Hisana-senpai."

I raised an eyebrow and nodded my head, "I suppose that's fine if you call me that. You're a very polite Shinigami."

His eyes brightened and he smiled, poking his index fingers together, "Well, thank you, but who wouldn't be polite to you? You've been a big role model for everyone!"

"That's a job more suited for Kuchiki Taicho, I think, because I try to do my best for him!"

"Really? Okay! I'm going to have to write that down!", the navy haired boy's eyes filled with determination as he wrote down my words.

"Well...the first actual question I have for you is this, Hisana-senpai: What kind of person would you find to be ideal for your Division?"

"Ideal person? Well, most of us are not prone to break the rules, so I suppose people that uphold the law will be suitable for us right now. I would also like more recruits to be hard working, they don't have to be talented. They should be mature, responsible and can work as both a team and alone."

"team and alone...okay. How would you describe the nature of your Division?"

"We work together happily because we get along with each other. It's a place where you can be comfortable with everyone when we all share some of the same ambitions!"

"Um...um...Can you tell me, I mean US, about some of your goals in as a person in the Sixth Division?"

"I have a lot of dreams, so does everyone that works with me. All I have to say is that we all look up to Kuchiki Taicho and want to one day be like him. Maybe even better!"

At my comment, my Taicho, glanced at my seat, one elegant eyebrow raised. I smiled and waved at him.

"Sakamoto. That will never happen."

"Taicho! You can't say that! We all have potential to be stronger than you."

"I shall be increasingly growing stronger at a faster rate than all of you."

"Taicho!", I complained, and looked back at my interviewer, his dazed expression on his face, "Anyway. Yes I think all of us in Company Six have that dream. That's why we like to spar with him."

"O...kay, I got that down!", he nodded, "What things do you want see in the men applying to your squad?"

"First of all, I have to say that I like kind hearted and strong willed Shinigami. I don't particularly like snobby people and people that are selfish. In the Sixth Division, we care about the well being of others too. Did I say about being mature? That, and they should also be supportive and happy."

"Do you have any words for the senior students?"

"Of course!", I sat at the end of my seat and clapped my hands together, "Please don't be afraid to apply to our Division! Most of the people there are males, but I welcome any girls to our barracks! It would be fun to meet all of you! We get along with everyone here, life is content. And remember, you don't have to be a prodigy, just have a strong will and good determination!"

By the time I finished my rant, his eyes were all sparkly as he scribbled some of my words down on paper, "You are a very thoughtful person, Hisana-senpai."

"Life is better that way, Hyoe.", I smiled.

"You...you remember my name...!", he gasped and stood up, smiling.

"Thank you Hisana-senpai!", the dark haired boy bowed at me again, "I had fun talking to you."

"I'm always in the Sixth Division if any of you need me!"

"Thank you, and good bye!"

I waved off at him and stood up, waiting for Renji to finish off before running over to our Taicho.

"Okay. We have to go outside now to talk to all of the Shino Academy brats.", Renji crossed his arms and walked forward. I shuffled my feet at the same pace as the raven haired Taicho.

"That was quite optimistic for you Sakamoto."

"I'm just in a happy mood. And besides, I want good people to come to the Sixth Division."

"Or course...Well done."

My own eyes glittered like the young Ninth Division Shinigami as I heard Byakuya say those words. He's praised me yet again! Oh, why shouldn't I be more happy about life more often?

Renji and I stood behind Kuchiki Taicho as he sat down in the designated seat for the Rukubantai Captain, beside Captain Aizen and the Seventh Division Taicho.

We just stood there as The Commanding Captain Yamamoto began speaking to the seated students, followed by his Lieutenant who spoke of the qualities of the First Company. This went on for the rest of the other Divisions in chronological order until the time came for the Sixth Company to speak.

The raven haired twenty eighth head of the Kuchiki family stood up and introduced us to the audience.

"I am the leader of the Sixth Division Shinigami, Kuchiki Taicho. These are my Lieutenant and Third Seat Officer."

"This is Abarai Renji, Fukutaicho of the Thirteen Court Guards!", Renji pointed to himself.

"I am the Third Seat Officer of Company Six, Sakamoto Hisana."

Like most of the times that I have introduced myself, the audience began to stare intensively at me. A field of students all looked at me with unblinking eyes, which I tried smiling to and looking down. They whispered to each other. Renji began speaking about the attributes our Division had. For the rest of the day, nothing other than that was particularly special.

On the second day of the fair, it was asked for that every two Divisions of the Gotei Thirteen be placed in one room by the Commanding Captain. By sheer luck, the two Divisions that rarely spoke to each other ended up in the same classroom.

I didn't really have to be there today. My presence was only asked for yesterday for interviews, but Renji had insisted on greeting Rukia back from her two weeks stationed in the Living World. The job as being representatives for the Sixth Division was placed on the shoulders of my Taicho and, like usual, me.

Not that I really minded working right beside Kuchiki Taicho. I found that I had warmed up to his presence, and spoke to him more often now than I ever had. The short lived conversation after our own trip to the Human World came to a very sudden halt when I brought up the question as to why he often treated me so harshly before. He had replied only with a grunt and a pointed up chin in the direction of the barracks, leading me to think that he would explain on the way back. He didn't.

It silently fueled me to figure out the answer to my life long Shinigami question. Of course, I hadn't formulated a plan on how to approach it again, but at the current moment, staying with him was the best technique.

Besides, he was so cool now that he doesn't yell at me quite as often.

Had he warmed up to me too?

But anyway, I received at questioning glance at the raven haired man possessing my thoughts as we walked up the second flight of stairs.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing. Just something I was thinking.", I smiled.

"You seemed dazed. You nearly tripped on your feet several times today."

Maybe this was the right time to bring it up, "Taicho, may I ask-actually, may I ask you a question later when we come back to your office?"

He nodded, "Of course."

I smiled, happily skipping up the stairs to the fifth floor and happily waiting for my raven haired Taicho to walk up. I'll talk to him later. I can talk to him more that way.

"Taicho! You're so slow today!"

He glared at me, "Sakamoto."

"But you ARE slow! Aren't you always the one that says that it is unacceptable if a seat officer is not top notch?", I gave him a mock glare.

"..."

"Unacceptable! You should be fired for just that reason!", I faked his voice as best as I can, even though his was three octaves lower than mine.

He was still walking up the stairs when he raised one single eyebrow, "Do you happen to be bipolar? It seems as though your personality changes every so days."

I smiled and covered my mouth. It was nice talking to him nowadays.

"Quickly Kuchiki Taicho!", I shouted back at him over the loud noise, "We have to get to the little students before they become lost without us! They're so little and cute!"

As to put an emphasis on the kawai factor of the Shino Academy students, I patted the head of an oddly short passerby child and grabbed his tanned cheeks.

Kuchiki Taicho stopped at the final step and stayed silent, looking down at the shorter me and Academy student. I kept on pulling on his cheeks lightly.

…

…

...

I heard growling from the 'student' caught in my grasp. Of course, my giddy attitude was far from being settled down into soberness. To burn more fuel into the unknown wound I had created...

"Aw! Come here! You shouldn't be growling at your senpai sweetie! Here!", I pulled out the soul phone that was expected to be carried around all of the time and placed it on camera mode.

Clomping the kid, who I didn't even bother looking at, I pulled him into a bug bear hug, cheek pressed against cheek.

"Kuchiki Taicho, would you mind taking a picture of us?"

The raven haired man only crossed his arms and gave me an amused look.

"Fine. I'll take it then myself.", I huffed, "Smile!"

Snap!

…

…

…

After taking one shot, I released the student and held him by the top of his head. I smiled as I turned over the phone to see the masterpiece, "SEE? SO DON'T BE angry..."

My unusual hyperactive vibe washed away, draining most of my life force out as well.

The image. Me. Black hair. Happy eyes. Big smile. Rosy cheeks. The student. Flared ANGERED cheeks. Teeth clenching. Mad eyes. White hair. Like snow.

Like snow.

Snow.

Shiro-chan.

...Oh...my...goodness.

I pulled the short boy's cheeks to look at his ticked off face. My suspicions were proved right.

I could hear Byakuya scoff, "I thank you for bursting her bubble, Tenth Division Captain Hitsugaya."

-TBC-

**Okay, I understand the great lame writing of this story. But I was so compelled to write a profile for Hisana, and Hey! Toshiro Hitsugaya showed up! He's my little brother, did you know that?**

**Anyway, please comment! Thank you for all your support! I received fifty comments on this story! **

**And I promise the next chapter will be actually interesting. **


	14. Knowledge and Beginnings

**Um...I had an idea of how my story would progress, but in the situation where Hisana is in now, it's hard to maneuver the plot through it. But no worries Sakamoto Tammy! You can do it! Just go with the flow!**

**Anyway here is the next chapter. Please comment, and thank you to the fifty plus people that have GrimmjowxOC fanfic. **

**Listen to this! Isn't it positively sweet? I got it from one of the other Fanfic pen writers on their profile. But I can't remember what their name was. So thank you! And I apologize for not asking for permission! **

"Oh my goodness! Hitsugaya Taicho! I didn't mean to do that!", I covered my mouth with both hands.

"...Sakamoto...that's your name right?", the little white haired boy asked.

"Y-yes."

"Ya!", I squeezed my eyes shut as he began pulling on my hair.

'Kuchiki Taicho! How could you just stand watch as this is happening to me?', I thought and tried prying his hands off of me.

"I'm in no way a little boy! I'm at least eighty years older than you! If any one here is a little boy, it's YOU!", he bellowed.

"OW! I'm a girl! Hitsugaya Taicho!", I hollered, but yet he still held a strong grip on my jet black locks.

Out of desperation, I flung my arms all over the place, trying to fend myself with the air, or anything around. And finally, I caught something soft and fluffy, and held onto it for dear life. I began ramming it into the shortest Captain's arm forcefully. This action caused him to shout out again, but held onto my hair even harder.

"Ow OW OW!", he shouted in my ear. Please keep in mind that my eyes were until now still tightly closed, and I never realized that in my awkward attempt to save myself, I ended in deeper trouble when I grabbed Hitsugaya's hair.

"Let go!", I cried and began wobbling around the spot.

"YOU let go!", he shouted back harshly in my face. We began moving clumsily around in the halls, acting like TOTAL DRUNKS.

"NO!", Hitsugaya screamed, his feet that slipped on the top stairs tumbling down a few more flights.

"Wah!", I echoed, instantly letting go of the Tenth Division Captain's hair and pulled on his Captain haori to myself. As I quickly wrapped my arms around his shoulders and back, my own legs lost ground.

We we're flung into thin air, and then gravity pulled us down onto the hard cornered edges of the staircase. That was, until I felt something on the back of my neck hold me back from my demise.

Hitsugaya Taicho and I swung around carelessly like how a swinging pendulum would vibrate on its equilibrium point crazily. When the nauseating movement ended, Kuchiki Taicho pulled us in front of his face and gave us a deadpanned look. I smiled nervously and thanked my boss. Hyorinmaru's master could only refrain from stopping himself from puking by placing his head on me as the two of us hung in the air by my Taicho's arm.

_Back from the restroom..._

"Man, I can't believe that YOU are the new third seat enrolled this year!"

"I said I was sorry already!", I whined, trying to smooth down my hairstyle. The Tenth Taicho's locks was as well in total disarray.

He huffed and glared at me as we both headed to the fair room where Kuchiki Taicho was waiting for us, "You girls, always making fun of me because I'm short and 'cute'. How childish!"

I ran to stand in his path, bending my spine to look at him square in the face. Reflexively, he slammed both of his palms on his tanned cheeks securely.

I returned back to earth with my normal attitude when the short Shinigami pulled his lower lip out, his eyebrows knotting together.

'He's so cute!'

"You are cu-"

"I'm NOT cute!"

I blinked twice, surprised at his remark, but slowly pulled the corners of my lips sweetly, "You ARE cute...but in a very manly way!"

He parted his lips a little, lifting his eyebrows high up to his forehead, "H-huh? M-manly?"

I regained my normal standing composure and walked happily down the hallways, "We should get going, Hitsugaya Taicho!"

I felt him slowly walking behind me. As I turned quickly back to look at him, I noticed that there was a hint of pink on his tanned cheeks.

It made me smile at him even more.

At that particular moment, when I looked back to the front again, I was nearly knocked off balance by a person.

It was The Third Company Captain.

"Ichimaru Taicho, I'm sorry!", I stuttered and clumsily bowed.

"Oh, hello **Hisana**!", he replied. I wanted to say that he smiled at me, but when was he NOT grinning?

"Ichimaru.", Hitsugaya Taicho grunted and stood beside me.

"Hello Captain Hitsugaya! What are you doing with our little **Hisana** today?", he towered over me, causing me to nervously step back.

I've never really felt too well around him. There was nothing that expressed what he truly felt about anything. What I found most admirable about his Lieutenant, Izuru, was how he could live working directly under the fox like man.

It was a common feeling I shared with Rukia, that we both trembled when within a two meter radius of Gin Ichimaru, that we were scared of him, that we hated him.

"...Well?", he tilted his head, the abnormally large grin still plastered on his face.

"...I...I...", I shook.

Tasting my fear, he bent down even lower, so that his stinging breath hissed in my ear.

"Do you need some help talking?"

"It's nothing Ichimaru, we just into each other.", Hitsugaya, pulled my arm a little.

"Hm...you tend to bump into people too often **Hisana**!", he slowly shook his head.

I swallowed and broke into a sweat, "I...I..."

"Just leave it Ichimaru. Come on.", the shorter white haired Taicho pulled me down the hallway.

"I'll see you later Hitsugaya Taicho! Bye bye **Hisana**!", he raised his voice from behind us.

I swore the back of my hair stood straight up.

When we were out of earshot, the Tenth Captain spoke out again, "Why are you so scared of him?"

"He's scary."

"So?"

"So I'm scared of him."

"You didn't even answer my question!"

"I'm still shaken up you know!", I cried and pulled my wrist out of his, trying to hold my other hand still.

He stayed silent for a while, just standing in front of the destination. And when the field of newly grown green grass blew with the cool wind, he spoke again.

"You can't let everything that's scary get the best of you Sakamoto. You have to learn how to just live with it. Like me. Everyone is scared of me, but no, I still live my life normally.", he nodded and closed his eyes.

I slowly walked over to where he was, "I'm not scared of you, Hitsugaya Taicho."

He opened hie eyes to look at me, "You're not? Don't you think that I'm like,", he frowned at me, "Like ice?"

I tilted my head to the side and replied, "You may have an ice type zanpakuto,", then I patted his shoulder, "But I don't think you're not like ice at all. Not even just a little cold!"

Giving him a smile, I waited for him to catch up to me, as I was already halfway into the building.

As he ran up to the stairs, he said these words to me:

"You remind me of my grandmother, Sakamoto."

I gasped and placed my hands on my hips, "What?"

The snowy haired boy actually smiled and continued walking up to the fifth floor.

"Hitsugaya Taicho!"

"Oi, Hisana!"

Toshiro and I turned back to see Renji running toward us, his arms waving. I waved back at him and looked down at the Tenth Division Captain.

"Hitsugaya Taicho, please go on without me. I'll get there later.", I smiled and nodded.

He looked lazily up at me and then sighed, but nodded either way.

I jumped down the stairs to meet up with the red haired fukutaicho. He doubled over, grasping his knees while attempting to catch his breath. As I patted his back, I glanced back at the field. There was no sign of Rukia anywhere.

"Renji, where's Rukia?", I asked.

He looked up at me from his crouching position, "I was just about to ask you the same question! Isn't she here?"

My eyebrows knotted together, "No...why would she be here? I thought you went to meet her...at the gates..."

"I DID. But she wasn't there."

"Did she come back before you arrived?"

"I don't know. That thought never crossed my mind."

Once he regained his posture, I told him to go to the room where our Company and Kuchiki Taicho would be in. He asked me what I would be doing.

"I'm going to go ask the gate keeper. And look around for her.", I waved and smiled, "She's bound to be strolling around the Seireitei. You should be here as fukutaicho with our Captain."

He said a quick good bye and good luck. I told him that when I found the short black haired girl, I would announce it to him as soon as possible.

…

…

…

There was always bad news whenever I came to talk with the gate keeper. Rukia never showed up at anytime today. Not even yesterday.

That only meant one thing. She was going to be in trouble with the Gotei 13 when she actually came back late.

_Three weeks later. _

"Not yet?", I mumbled, pulling back my hair.

"I'm sorry Sixth Division Third Seat Officer Sakamoto!", the tall and brawny male bowed his head.

"Call me Hisana. That's all I need.", I smiled and turned around, waving back at him.

_'Rukia, where ARE you?'_, I thought to myself as butterflies formed in my stomach.

There was no point to walking around the Seireitei looking for her, eve though I knew she wouldn't be anywhere here. I but did so anyway, like I did everyday now.

It had been weeks since I had last seen Rukia. Three more days and it would be exactly two months since our last encounter at the Kuchiki mansion.

As if to shove me off the brinks and into a panic attack, I stumbled across one of the most scariest men in the Court Squad Companies.

Gin Ichimaru was talking to Shuuhei's Captain, Taicho of the Ninth Division, and the kind and gentle Captain Aizen. What they were talking about, I did not exactly know. If it was anything as special as what he talks about with my raven haired Taicho, then it was just nonsense.

I silently swallowed down the lump in my throat and hid my spiritual pressure. I was never used to the fact that other Shinigami could detect my reiatsu even without seeing me, so most of the time I cloaked it so when walking around Seireitei. I knew that it was totally covered, but I was so scared of this light haired man that I had to make sure that it was two hundred percent undetectable until it I felt like a soul with absolutely no reiatsu.

I held my breath and hid behind the wall. I obviously didn't know what else to do now. Should I go past them in my merry way or scurry back the direction I came from. The latter idea was very appealing, but I was afraid that they could hear my footsteps, even though my spiritual pressure was covered. Shunpo was not an option either.

Thus, I stayed right on that spot.

They were talking about Central Fourty-Six. And then I heard mumbling. Then they spoke about Hitsugaya Taicho and 'the letter'. And one of the Sacred Grounds Building. More illegible words. And then about a Kuchiki. More specifically, they were talking about Kuchiki Rukia.

'What? Why are they talking about her?', I asked my self and clenched my fists.

None of them, well, at least, Ichimaru Taicho, would use his time of day to talk about such matters like my black haired friend's late absence. It HAD to be about something else.

I lost my composure when I heard one simple word escape his grinning lips, which I could only imagine were turning up by the second.

"...Dies..."

As I took in a sharp intake of breath, I clasped a hand over my mouth. The sound of skin hitting skin, or palm hitting cheek, shocked all three Taicho, not to mention drive me into full freak out mode.

"Who's there?", Kaname Tousen Taicho boomed.

I didn't answer, I just flashed stepped away. I had beyond reasonable doubts to believe that Gin Ichimaru figured out who I was.

My mind began to go into hyper drive when I saw my Taicho standing beside Renji, like they were waiting for something.

"Kuchiki Taicho!", I screamed and landed in front of him.

Renji took a step back when I held onto the sleeves of Byakuya's shihaikusho. The raven haired man took in a deep breath and raised one elegant eyebrow.

"Taicho! I want to ask you something.", I gasped and held onto the other end of his large sleeve.

"I'm listening, Sakamoto."

"If a Shinigami stays in the Human World longer than they are stationed there, what happens to them? I mean specifically Rukia?"

"...They will be forcibly brought back by one Captain and a seated officer of his choosing. Once they reach Seireitei soil, they will be jailed, and wait for sentencing."

"Rukia...you're talking in terms of Rukia?", I whispered.

"Of course."

I gasped and blinked, looking all over the place.

My eyes caught sight of both Zabimaru and Senbonzakura strapped securely on both of their master's hips.

"Taicho...Renji...why do you have your zanpakuto on you? It's not allowed unless you're going into action...", I whimpered.

Renji scratched his necks and stood beside me.

"It's funny you should bring all this up, Hisana."

I turned slowly to look at him, "What do you mean?"

"...", he looked over to the side nervously.

"Renji!", I cried.

I felt two large hands clasp at my fingers, pulling them off of my Taicho's uniform.

"Abarai and I have told Commanding Officer Yamamoto, that we will retrieve her from Karakura Town.", he calmly answered.

My eyes widened. My blood pumped through my veins quickly.

"_...They will be forcibly brought back by one Captain and a seated officer of his choosing. Once they reach Seireitei soil, they will be jailed, and wait for sentencing."_

"You're not kidding..."

He shook his head no and opened the gates, walking past me. Two hell butterflies guiding them past the shoji.

I fell to the ground, covering my mouth as the quiet sobs left it.

-TBC-

**Please rate and comment! The story will follow the original plot of Tite Kubo-san's Bleach now! Please stay tune and remember that HISANA SAKAMOTO IS FIFTEEN JUST LIKE ICHIGO AND ORIHIME AND URYUU AND CHAD! **

**Tammy Sakamoto**


	15. Knowledge and Lack of Understanding

**Hm! I just finished watching the first Bleach Movie just right now! The ending was really nice. I have to include it in Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her sometime, and the Diamond Dust Rebellion one too, and well, actually all of them!**

**What I was a little sad about in the movie was how...sniff...Byakuya played this really lame, not even one minute role in the climax. And Shuuhei wasn't even able to talk at all! And then Izuru gets to? I going to bite off someone's head now. **

**On a good note, the movie made me love life and want to protect it...for some reason...sigh! What would my life be like if it was like Ichigo Kurosaki? I want to protect our world (corny...)! I'm going to become a doctor! Which reminds me, I have to study for that Biology test today, since its tomorrow that I have to write it. Anyways, this is the fifteenth chapter! Once I finish it, I'll post it up and go straight to studying! Ciao! **

**AND REMEMBER, HISANA SAKAMOTO IS THE SAME AGE AS ICHIGO KUROSAKI ORIHIME, CHAD AND URYUU! **

_'There is no way that he would be kidding like that. Rukia WILL be arrested.'_

I waited and waited and waited in a heap on the ground, the exact same spot I fell down on when Kuchiki Taicho said that he would bring Rukia home.

_'That's right. He'd never kid about anything like that.'_

I didn't know how long I just sat there waiting, but it was hours well into nightfall until the Sekaimon started reacting again.

_'They're back.'_

I stood up and dusted the dirt off myself, and then waited expectantly for my Taicho's silhouette to appear.

When it did, I took a few steps forward.

s

"Is Rukia with you?", I looked up at the raven haired man.

He walked past me all while giving me the cold shoulder.

I turned back to look at him when he stopped, as if waiting for something to happen.

"Oh, you still here Hisana?", I heard Renji's voice from in front of me.

"Renji! Where's Rukia?", I checked his tattered and dirty clothing, looking at him strangely while looking behind him for the younger Kuchiki member.

She stood close behind the tall red head in his shadow, head down and arms by her side.

"Rukia.", I gently pushed Renji, signifying that he should move aside.

The black haired Kuchiki timidly looked up at me and smiled, "Hi Hisana-san."

"What happened? You stayed twice as long there than you should have. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"Hey!", Renji spoke up, "I'm the one who's all bloodied up here! Why didn't you ask how I was doing?"

I sighed, "Well, you have the greatest tendency to get into fights all the time."

"I told you that you were reckless, Renji!", Rukia stuck her tongue out at him. I smiled, glad to have her back.

"Why you little midget!"

"Silence. All of you. Rukia, follow me. The two of you, go back to the Sixth Company Barracks.", with the sound of his voice, we all tensed and bowed to him.

I watched on as Rukia waved timidly at me as I gave her an encouraging smile back. When she turned around again, I looked at the two sibling's fading figures, Rukia's modern day dress flowing behind her. Kuchiki Taicho walked strictly in a straight line.

Renji and I walked back to the building that sheltered us both, as we were told to by our Taicho.

It was noisy. I asked him about the things that surrounded with the Kuchiki female's absence.

"You don't know? She gave her Shinigami powers to some human."

"What? Really?", I gasped as I opened my little house.

"Yeah. That's of course, against the laws, and because of that, she stayed for far too long in Earth. That, was another thing that was against Shinigami rules too."

"I know that...", I mumbled as I took out a white sleeping yukata.

"Anyway, she's going to be in a whole lot of trouble. Heh, I don't even know if she'll get past the death sentence."

I took in a sharp intake of breath and stood up to look at him, "I forgot about that."

"Heh, Rukia's in a whole lot of trouble! The little midget. Hey, what? What?"

I succeeded in pushing him out of my sliding door into the outside, "I'm taking a bath."

He blinked and nodded, "Yeah, I know."

"So, I'm going to go now."

"What? In your own bathroom? I thought we were both going to the public one together!"

I frowned, "You have your own bathroom. Go use that."

"Aw! Hisana!"

I glared at him, "I can't believe that you would be so thrilled to see that Rukia could get killed! Goodnight and goodbye!"

I slammed the shoji doors in his face and huffed, ignoring his knock on the screen and slamming myself shut in the bathroom.

I'm not really afraid of death, that's what I told myself. But why was I so scared for Rukia?"

With Renji constantly going off to visit our short friend, I was left to fend off the stacks of paper that piled up quickly on both of our desks. During the past two weeks, I managed to only meet Rukia in the Sixth Division detention room a few times.

The twenty-eighth Kuchiki head wasn't so lenient to allow me to go see her anymore, and glared at me whenever I asked him for permission during the day time. As more and more paperwork magically sprung up every hour, my night hours was begun to use as extra work time. Soon, I wasn't able to meet her at all. It really got to me, knowing that my time with her may soon come to an end.

Then the news finally came when summer was near the corner...

"Kuchiki Taicho?", I whispered knocking at his office door. There was no reply, "Kuchiki Taicho?"

"Rikichi,", I called one of Renji's friend over, to which he quickly did so, "Yes, Hisana-san?"

"Isn't Taicho around?"

"Uh...uh...l-let me check!", he smiled and screamed out at the others in the building.

"Hisana-san!", one of our twentieth seats ran up to me, "Kuchiki Taicho said that he was going to go announce Rukia's punishment today."

"What? Why wasn't I told of this! Renji! Renji!", I panicked and grabbed my straw sandals.

"Renji left already.", Rikichi scratched his cheek.

"Okay! Thank you!", I waved back at him, signaling an entire crowd to bow back at me.

_'Taicho, you're not going to actually...'_, I thought as I used shunpo to arrive faster to Rukia's cell.

I didn't let myself finish that thought.

It seemed that I was too late. Kuchiki Taicho was walking in the opposite direction of where I was running to. All that I could imagine was that her conviction had been heard. But I kept on running, and ran past the sacred building that housed Central 46.

My breath was caught in my throat when I felt the spiritual pressure of the Third Company near the strictly off limits building. I stopped in my track immediately. Kuchiki Taicho stopped a few feet away from me looking on at Gin Ichimaru.

"Hello **Hisana**.", the silver haired man waved at me. I didn't reply back, only gripping the sides of my shihaikusho tightly.

"Now, **Hisana**, why didn't you reply to my greeting? That's not quite polite, considering I'm a Captain. **Hisana**? Isn't that right, Kuchiki Taicho?", he walked over to the two of us.

"Ichimaru.", my Taicho curtly nodded and looked at him. He ignored the raven haired man, and tilted his head.

"**Hisana**?** Hisana**?** Hisana**?"

I could only manage to stutter out, "Ichimaru...Ichimaru...Taicho..."

"Not good enough, **Hisana**!See how I pronounce your name so precisely? You have to do that for MY name! See like this: **Hisana**...**Hisana**...**Hisana**..."

I was so sacred that I didn't know what to do, so I looked up at my Taicho from under my bangs, to see if he would help me.

But...he only looked at the Third Company Captain angerly, his hands clenched and unclenched dangerously beside his body.

I gasped when the raven haired man grabbed at Ichimaru Taicho's shoulders and pulled him back away from me.

"Never. Do I want to hear that name in my presence. Do you HEAR me?"

Byakuya didn't say it in a loud and ferocious manner. He spoke just above a whisper, his voice ever so shaking. I blinked up at Kuchiki Taicho, and then frowned Ichimaru Taicho. The raven haired man looked like he wanted to bite off the Third Division Taicho's head off.

Ichimaru, on the other hand, grinned even wider when he whispered my name one last time.

"I am warning you, Ichimaru. I don't WANT to hear that name...EVER."

I slowly turned to face my Captain, and swallowed.

_Holding onto Renji's wrist before he could send me to the Soul Society, the charming and handsome Sixth Taicho-as the red haired boy called him-looked at me with a look I couldn't decipher as a glare or a look of surprise. _

"_Taicho?" Renji asked._

"_...Repeat your name.", he was talking to me._

"_S-Sakamoto..." _

"_..."_

"_She said her name already."_

"_Not all of it."_

"_My name is S-Sakamoto...Hisana...", I stuttered, heart beating too fast for comfort._

_He just kept on glaring at me, probably trying to drill holes in my head or something. But finally, Renji spoke out to him, a bit nervous himself._

…

"_Now, now, Kuchiki Taicho...", a light colour haired man said. I recognized him to be Third Company Captain, Gin Ichimaru, "She's new, don't be so harsh on her!"_

"_I don't think that this has got to do with you, Ichimaru.", Byakuya said._

"_Well, she is only a first year student! She hasn't learned yet...you are always too strict Taicho.", he said, and looked at me with his large smile, "You should go, __**Hisana**__, before you make Kuchiki Taicho even more upset. Don't be too sad, __**Hisana**__. Go on now, __**Hisana**__!" _

"_You seem to not want that tongue of yours Ichimaru.", the angry Taicho said to him, apparently very angered at this point. _

"_...Hm...", he smiled, "I think we have made the Sixth Taicho very angry, don't you think? ...__**Hisana**__?"_

I quickly bowed at the two of them and head in the direction of where Ukitake Taicho would be resting at. The idea of reaching Rukia didn't much appeal to me anymore. I felt too bad.

_'He's been calling me by my family name all this time...so now...I realize...'_

That the question I've always wanted answered ever since that first day I met Kuchiki Byakuya, had been solved.

He hated me because of my first name.

Why? I didn't know yet. But if I talk to one of the oldest Captains in the existing history of the Gotei Thirteen...

_As I was in mid bow, he leaned over his seat and looked at me more closely, "You're that girl... something Hisana...right?"_

"_Sakamoto Hisana.", I confirmed._

_He placed his brush down and nodded with understanding, "Tell me, is Byakuya bullying you or anything?"_

_I looked at him shocked. How did he know when this was the first time we've spoken to each other?_

_I denied it, trying to avoid accusing my Captain, "No."_

"_Really? Are you sure?"_

"_Yeah..."_

_He stared off into space, "I would think that he would, considering it's you..."_

_He spiked my curiosity, "Sir? Is there anything I should know about?"_

...I just might get my answer.

-TBC-

**Aw...i didn't get to put in the Ryoga invasion in this chapter! And it has no meaning to it much! But don't worry! Please keep on reading! The next Chapter will be much much much better! I promise!**

**Please Review!**

**Tammy Sakamoto **


	16. Realize by Nami Tamaki

**Ah...some of you guys' comments really warmed my heart! I must write an author's note for everyone that's reviewed. **

**But I have to start the chapter!**

**Oh, and finally, as some of you have asked for, the chapter when the actual cast of of Bleach appear in the Ryoga Arc! **

**Please enjoy and review!**

_Western Rukongai..._

Five individuals stood closely beside each other, forming a circle. A small black feline, identified as 'Mr. Yoruichi' stood in this makeshift circle's centre.

As if by magic, a light blowing ball was formed under the cat's feet and rose up to the other five's eye level. Immediately, each of them placed one hand upon the glowing ball, remaining quiet.

The cat's male voice was the first to speak, "Prepare yourselves for the infiltration. Are you all ready?"

The one with the bright orange hair grunted as another transparent sphere enveloped this mysterious group. He looked over to the small, far off buildings stylized in a fancy, Ancient Japanese theme.

"We're coming for you, Rukia."

And they shot out of the tall cannon, and into the air.

...

I stood in the Ugendo, specifically the little room by the lake in the Thirteenth Division barracks.

Sat down into a formal kneeling position.

"Ukitake Taicho?", I spoke in a soft voice, hoping that I did not startle him.

"...Huh? Who is it?"

"It's me...Hisana."

"Oh...just...give me a second...!"

I heard the rustling of fabric, sheets, brushes, and something wooden falling down. He innocently cursed behind the shield before shoving the object that fell out of sight, as I hypothesized.

"...Ah! You can come in!"

I quietly opened the shoji doors out and bowed to him, my forehead touching the back of my hands pressed on the ground. That was how you would greet anyone in the Seireitei.

"Ukitake Taicho...how are you today?"

He scratched cheek and grinned warmly, "Me? I'm doing great! The whether is absolutely beautiful today, it uplifts my mood as well!"

I nodded and smiled, "That is nice to hear, Ukitake Taicho."

He gestured me to come over onto the sitting cushion on the wood, "Here, come sit down and enjoy the view."

I bowed again and walked over to his side before sitting down again. The room had a comforting aura to it, a very homey place to stay in. It would have been nice if my room was located in some place like the Ugendo.

Ukitake Juushiro's room had a very large window that allowed the lake and mountains to be seen. The wind blew softly through it, swaying my hair into my face a little. I took in a breath of fresh air and inwardly sighed.

This was sort of like the time at the sea with Kuchiki Taicho.

"_I do not hate you, Sakamoto..."_

I frowned and looked down to my lap and thought, '_Yes you do... and now I know why._'

The two of us stayed silent that way for quite some time, until the white haired man spoke in a careful voice, "Is there something wrong? Hisana?"

I smiled and shook my head, looking up at him from the seated position on his futon.

'_The way you say my name...is nothing like how Ichimaru says it. It's very soothing._'

"Ukitake Taicho...", I started and bowed at him again, "i know its not proper for me to ask for such a thing from a Captain, but there is something that I've wanted you to answer!"

"Calm down...you're shaking...", he patted my shoulder, "May I hear this question?"

I looked nervously up at him and fidgeted with my fingers, "...I'd like...and you can object to if you want...but from our last encounter...I've had a hunch that you know why Kuchiki Taicho is so hostile with me."

"So...I was wondering if you can tell me why, because I have no will to ask Kuchiki Taicho himself.", I quickly returned back to my bowing position, forehead on hands, palms pressed hard on the smooth floor.

"...I was guessing that that was why you've come here today with a reason outside of work...", he pulled me upright and patted my head.

"R-really?"

He smiled genuinely, and said, "By now, I think it shouldn't be something hidden from you."

Ukitake Taicho took in a deep breath and exhaled...

"Did you know that your Captain was once married?"

I said no.

"I don't think I would be surprised...that had been fifty years ago. You haven't even lived for that long."

"I'm sorry for my ignorance..."

"No no, I think that no one would really what to tell you this anyway.

But you need to know one thing about Lady Kuchiki...

...that her name was Hisana."

My eyes widened and my mouth opened, just the tiniest crack.

"..."

"So you see, you may have brought shock to many people, including Byakuya."

"She was a gentle woman, very kind and soft spoken. She was always very delicate, and I think that was what made him fall in love with her.

They met in the Rukongai, and he pretty much instantly fell in love with her the night he returned back into the Seireitei. I remember that he told me how she was the first person to ever look at him as not 'honorable heir Byakuya', but 'just Byakuya'.

It was when he had just reached actual adulthood in the Soul Dimension, but he married Hisana right away, once he became the head of the Kuchiki household.

As you may tell, there was many objections in the house, for how could a high nobleman possibly wed a woman from the 78th District of Rukongai? But he married her anyway, no matter if he broke the laws."

"Then what happened?", I swallowed.

He sighed and shook his head, "Hisana was delicate, and not just in appearance. Years living in such a brutal place like the 78th District weakened her greatly. In their fifth year together, she suffered a lung disease and Hisana passed away that winter."

"..."

"Byakuya has been a little rough and strict for as long as I knew him, but when Hisana died, I think he shut down."

"...Like the world had ended...", I mentioned and looked out at the window again.

"He doesn't mean any harm, Hisana...", he leaned forward to me.

I shook my head, "Now I finally understand everything...Thank you, Ukitake Taicho."

"Hisana, look-"

"Would it be possible if you called me by Sakamoto from now on? Because I don't think I can forget that you told me this."

""...But its your name..."

I laughed a little and looked up at the mountains, its steep and narrow hill plunging down to a pitch of boulders.

"..."

"..."

"...Even I myself am weary of having my name called out now."

"I'm sorry.'

I shook my head, "No, thank you, Ukitake Taicho for telling me this. I think I've discovered the most about him today than I ever have in the last seven years."

"He doesn't mean any harm, Hisana."

I kept on staring at the highest mountain in the far background.

"I know..."

"..."

"Ukitake Taicho,", I gleamed and clapped my hands, "That tall mountain there, is so dangerous, and so steep! The last time I was on the mountains...

"_Hold on! Hold on Hisana!"_

...I died in the Human World."

I heard him choked a little and began coughing. I looked back at him and held onto his arm and back, easing him down on his hard pillow.

"Did you take your medication yet?"

He shook his head.

"I'll get it then."

I stood up and brought over the wooden tray of pills in bottles and the half empty cup of tea, to which I refilled it again.

When I helped him up a little to let him drink his medicine, my eyes became distant and in another place.

"Thank you Hisana."

I couldn't help up imagine myself standing in place of my Taicho's wife as they walked down to the Kuchiki pavilion. I closed my eyes hut.

"Old or young, living or dead, Human or Soul, none of us want to be reminded of memories we keep dearly to our hearts. I think Kuchiki Taicho hates me because...not only am I invading his history with his wife, I may be making the details and people there be contaminated.

I don't blame him for being so ferocious with me, I think I would have encouraged him to."

"Hisana..."

I shook my head and smiled, "I'll let you rest now Ukitake Taicho. I'm sorry for bringing this up on such a nice day. It made you hurt again."

'_Wherever I go, I only seem to make things hurt because of my ignorance._'

"You don't need to apologize Hisana."

"...Have a good rest, Taicho.", I smiled weakly, to which he gave me an encouraging smile.

When I kneeled back outside the Ugendo, I bowed deeply for the last time and shut the shoji screen closed tightly.

I made my way out of the Thirteenth Division and sat down on the rooftops of the Seireitei buildings.

And I think I cried.

_Miss Hisana_

_My name is Hisana too, I work under your husband, Byakuya._

_We share a few things in common, did you know that?_

_One: our names, but I suppose you already knew that._

_Two: We both died in the human world and were sent to the Rukongai. But then, you died here too and came back to the Human World. I have to stay here and deal with your husband's uptight personality._

_I don't know about you, but one of the things that really bothers me, is how the ones we leave behind when we die, act like they are the ones that died too...when they should be living happily.._

_When they should forget us._

_Do you feel the same way?_

In all honesty, I felt bad for my Taicho. For how many years had he been dealing with this by himself? Then, out of the blue, some girl from the Human World decided to show up in front of him with the same name as his late wife. I probably invaded some of his more fonder memories. Or maybe he felt that I was not worthy of my name.

I laughed at myself, and wiped the tears away from my face.

And here, I thought I could make him accept me for who I am.

_'And I thought I could make him open up to me...'_

I'm an ignorant idiot. I'm weak. I act without thinking. Like how I was snobby enough to enroll in his Division.

"Taicho...", I grabbed at my knees and squeezed, "I'm sorry..."

I think I'm all tough and strong, and I could take on anything without trouble. I'm like one of those people who think they know everything, and just strut through a person's life and try to change everything...

when the person doesn't even want my help.

I'm a horrible bitch.

_Do not ever class yourself to such ranks, Hisana..._

My eyes shot open and I looked around the roof. There was no one.

_'...Wakahiru?'_

_...Yes_

I gasped and held my stomach, _'This is the second time that you've spoken to me!'_

_...Hisana, my words are boundless, my voice was always here, it has been trying to preach to you from the very beginning. _

_'I've never heard a voice...'_

_...You never bothered to acknowledge me. _

I blinked and then sighed, _'Like always, I think I know everything...'_

My thoughts came back to my raven haired Taicho.

_I've told you...to never think you are burdensome and unworthy. The mistress of this Wakahiru must not, and IS not trash. _

_'But Taicho-'_

_Silence._

_'Wakahiru-!'_

…

_'Wakahiru?'_

_...Their coming. _

_'Wakahiru! Wait! What are you talking about?'_, I looked around on top of the roof, _'No one's-' _

I lost my contact with my zanpakuto spirit. There was nothing but silence all around me.

There was a loud crack, like the sonic boom. My flung up in the air and stood, my head snapped backward to look at something. My eyes widened into round dishes.

Wakahiru was correct. There was something in the sky-even higher than where I was standing -outside the boundaries of the Seireitei, struggling to get past the barrier surrounding us. The barrier was made out of hard stuff, whatever touched it would have disintegrated at contact.

But no, the spherical object, whatever it may have been, was not ashing to dust. In fact, it was still totally intact.

And it was successfully breaking up the western section of the invincible Seireitei barrier.

An invasion.

-TBC-

**I don't really like this chapter much. But here it is! The crew coming to save Rukia Kuchiki has finally made an appearance. **


	17. Heartbeat Overflow

**Ichigo, Ichigo, Ichigo is so cool!**

**Here's the next chapter. You'll be in for a big surprise what happens. **

**Please review!**

When the reishi barrier gave into the invading object, the orb actually split up into four sections that shot in opposite sections throughout the Seireitei.

I could only stand watch and cover myself from the strong wind that was created by one of the passing orbs. As the trespassing object flew by me, it skimmed the wide sleeves of my uniform. It shocked me at how it was to me, and how fast my hear rammed in my ribcage at the contact.

I turned back to see the same orb fly to the other side of the Seireitei, near Shino Academy and crash through a building. There was a huge eruption followed by large clusters of dust spreading through the air. But other than that, nothing else happened.

I let out a breath I had been holding and clutched at where my heart hit my chest the hardest. I quickly jumped down from the roof and used shunpo to go get to the First Division Office.

"Yamamoto Sotaicho!", I cried out and pushed open the large heavy doors, and immediately dropped to the wooden floors in a bow. All thirteen Captains of the Gotei Thirteen lined up in accordance to number in the room.

"Third Seat Officer of Sixth Company, Sakamoto Hisana. What brings you here?", I heard his raspy voice call out my name.

I looked up at him in the far centre of the room, and answered, "Yamamoto Sotaicho, the reishi barrier around the Seireitei has been infiltrated by an unknown group of Ryoka. This has happened just fifteen minutes ago."

He combed through his long beard like those old Chinese men, nodding thoughtfully and closing his eyes.

"Please excuse me, Sotaicho!", I heard the familiar voice of a young boy from behind. I turned to look as I saw the figure of Hyoe, the boy from the interview weeks before. He was dressed in the uniform of the Fifth Company Messenger Division, the Ritei-Tai.

"You may proceed."

"There has been a Ryoka invasion coming from the west end of the Seireitei, sir."

"So I have been told. The two of you may leave.", he nodded and waved his arms at the two of us. We nodded and slowly back out.

When the doors were closed once more and the Captain meeting continued, I looked over at the navy haired boy.

"I thought you were from the Ninth Division."

He nodded and rubbed his neck, "By request from both Tousen Taicho and Aizen Taicho, I have been transferred to the Fifth Squad."

I nodded and thought back to the beating of my heart when that orb flew by me. I frowned and held onto his shoulder, "Hyoe, can you tell me more about these Ryoka?"

He swallowed, "T-there's nothing else that we know other than all I've supplied to the Commanding Captain."

I held onto the his other shoulder, "Are you sure? That's all you know?"

"I-I'm sorry Hisana, but there really isn't anything else I can tell you."

I had no idea why I felt so disappointed. In any case, I smiled and thanked him, and stood beside the doors to wait for Kuchiki Taicho. Hyoe stayed with me the entire time, even though I told him that he should go before he got in trouble. He persisted to stand by me.

When the doors opened again, my Taicho was the first person to step outside. I waved at Hyoe and ran up to him.

"Kuchiki Taicho.", I called to him. When he stopped and turned back to look at me, his eyes seemed to hold a harder gaze.

"What is it, Sakamoto?"

I tensed and looked down at the floor, suddenly remembering the things I've learned about him today. About his wife.

"It's nothing I was just...nothing."

He nodded and continued to walk as I followed behind him.

When we left the barracks of the First Division, I found the guts to ask him what the meeting was about, in an attempt to relieve the tension.

"That's none of your concern."

I winced, "I'm sorry, Taicho."

"...But if you must know, Rukia's execution date has been moved up."

I stopped in my tracks immediately after the last words escaped his lips, "W-WHAT?"

I turned back around and threw myself past the guards of the First Company.

"Yamamoto Sotaicho!", I barged in again, and once again formed the position of a kneeling peasant, "Kuchiki-"

He raised one hand up, and it immediately shut me up.

"Sakamoto, this is the second time you have entered into my office without proper permission."

"Yamamoto Sotaicho, I-"

"You are going to request for Kuchiki Rukia's execution to be reconsidered, am I correct?"

I paused for a moment, "...Yes-"

"I'm afraid that this is not possible. You may now leave."

"Yamamoto-"

"Leave."

"But the Ryoka invasion should-"

"That...is...enough, Sakamoto.", I heard my raven haired Taicho's voice from behind me, and like most days, I tensed up.

"Get up. Now."

The difference between Kuchiki Taicho and the Commanding Captain, was that even though Yamamoto held much higher status than Byakuya, Byakuya had the influence to scare me more and make me follow orders.

"I apologize for her indiscipline, Yamamoto Sotaicho. We shall leave you to your work now.", he pushed me by one of shoulders to leave the room.

I muttered an apology and looked down behind my Taicho. I didn't say anything else.

"Sakamoto...Central 46 has made their decision. Shinigami like us must abide by those decisions, it is all we can do.", the First Company Commanding Captain comforted, before the doors were closed behind me.

I bit my lips and closed my eyes as I followed the twenty-eight head of the Kuchiki House back to the office.

"What were you thinking, Sakamoto? Disrespecting the Commanding Captain like that. You must know your place.", he lectured me.

I didn't say anything else. But I thought back to his wife.

_Dear Hisana_

_Does he care about Rukia?_

_If you were here, what would you say to him? _

_Would you have told him to fight the rules?_

_Or would you have chosen to go by what your husband chose, like a supportive wife?_

_Or...maybe you wouldn't do any of that, and maybe..._

_You would have tried to save Rukia yourself?_

When we reached the headquarters, he left me to do what I wanted to do as he entered his office, informing anyone who disturbed his peace will be rightfully punished.

I closed the shoji door to Renji and my office and went over to the bookshelf. I pulled out the only book that provided the information I needed.

_Criminal Code of Seireitei._

I spent hours holed up in that large room, just studying the section that applied to Rukia's sentence.

I found nothing.

I shot up and ran to the door, nearly bumping into Renji, who was in his white and red flowery yukata.

I paid him no heed, and pulled my sandals into my socks.

"Wait Hisana! Where are you going?"

"Library!"

He ran up to me and held onto my shoulders firmly, "Are you crazy? There are a bunch of illegal Ryoka in the Seireitei now! You'll get ambushed!"

I turned back around to look up at him, a determined look on his face.

"That doesn't matter right now! What's most important to me now is Rukia's life!", I whispered to him and walked out. Renji pulled me back again.

"Come here!", he brought me back into the office. Once he shut the door tight behind him, I tried pushing him away and running out again.

"Ren...ji!", I cried.

"Are you nuts or something! There's nothing that you can do! This is Central Fourty-Six's order!"

"I don't care!", I tried pushing back at him.

He blocked me again, "Hisana! There's nothing that you can do!", I grabbed my shoulders and shook me.

I held onto his yukata front and grasped onto the white fabric.

"This is my friend's life! I can't just stand by and watch without fighting!"

"HISANA!"

"RENJI!"

"YOU'RE CRAZY!"

"WELL THEN YOU'RE THE MOST HEARTLESS JERK OF ALL SEIREITEI!"

I saw a vein pop up on his forehead, and he glared at me, "WHAT'D YOU CALL ME?"

"JERK! JERK! **JERK**!"

"SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME!"

"Ag! I'm just going to the Library for goodness sakes!", I hit his chest.

"The entire place is under attack! You can't just walk around like this!"

"Fine!", I ran over to the stand and grabbed my zanpakuto. "I'm armed now."

"You can't-you know what! Fine, Fine. Go. Forget that you have a role to protect the others. Forget that we care about your safety.", he slammed the door open again and shoved me out, "Just forget about all of us and risk your life to something that can't be done."

I looked back at his back that shook somewhat violently. I frowned and looked at the other Shinigami in the room, staring back at me pleadingly. I looked back at Renji again and blinked at his face at turned back to look at me.

I placed Wakahiru on my back and strapped him on and then shrugged, "Okay."

I ran out the door and headed for the library.

I smiled weakly when I could hear the red head's voice again, screaming on the the lines of 'Hey you're not supposed to actually go running off!'

I stuck out my tongue.

…

I spent a very long time in the large building. It was totally empty with the exception of the workers and myself.

I rubbed my temples when I couldn't find anything that could provide as a loop hole for the short black haired Kuchiki. But it was all that I could do in my power now for her. I had to keep on looking.

And then...I finally found something that looked like what I was looking for.

_A Shinigami hasthe duty and onus to devote their lives protecting the souls inhabiting the World of the Living, no matter what casualties lies ahead for said Shinigami. _

If I could just manipulate the words and persuade them...then...she might have a_ little hope. _

My smile widened and I held the thin book close to my heart.

Maybe...just maybe...

I looked out the window. It was nightfall. I couldn't hear the sounds of fighting any longer. The Ryoka were probably resting somewhere. I swallowed a lump in my throat when I thought back to how close I was to the intruders. My heart was beating so much, I didn't know what to do.

I closed my eyes and frowned. The news that Ikkakku had been successfully defeated came as a surprise for me. Followed by the loud scream of Fifth Seat Yumichika as he exploded into fireworks told us that his fate was doomed. Those were some of the toughest men that I knew that could hold their ground. But they weren't even a match for the Ryoga that invade the Seireitei.

_'How strong could they be?'_ , I wondered to myself and took in a deep breath.

And then Renji. Renji and the news that spread through the region about his defeat was the most terrifying thing I heard. He had been fine just this afternoon.

That news had just reached me fifteen minutes ago when I came across the book that led to my accomplished mission. I remembered how scared I was when I heard that he was pretty beat up and in critical condition. You must know how intense this information was to all of us, Renji was the Assistant Captain of the most respected Division in the Gotei 13, second in power right after the Taicho.

If they could beat him, then who knows what would happen to the rest of us?

I shook my head, free of my worries and looked straight out the window, to the white tower where Rukia was held in. It wasn't time for worrying. I was the Third Seat. I can't be scared. I have to be strong.

A Wartime Exemption Act, according to Hyoe when he came to me to tell me that all Seated officers from Third Seat and up could sheath their zanpakuto. I nodded and left him to continue with his duties. I secretly tore out the sheet of paper that held the most important piece of writing and gingerly place it in my shihakusho top.

I bowed to the old lady behind the desk and sprinted out of the Library.

The nights in the Seireitei were always very dark, not many of the lights were on. However, usually there would be the sounds of laughter and drinking erupted in the air, so it cradled me to sleep, knowing that I was with people all around me.

Today, because of the invasion in the western end of Seireitei, no sound was heard.

And to tell you the truth, I haven't felt this alone since for a long time.

I took in deep breaths and clenched my fists, my spiritual pressure cloaked to be totally undetectable.

I was successful in keeping myself calm and strong. Ready for whatever was to come.

My halted in my tracks.

"..."

I was not prepared to see the sight before my eyes. I definitely wasn't.

The heart in my body began beating crazily, too fast for my liking.

"Ca...Ca...Ca...Ca...", I stuttered as a sweat broke out in my forehead.

There, upon the walls of the Fourth Holy Buildings, was the slain body of the Fifth Division Taicho.

Blood. There was a lot of blood. And from the knowledge I've memorized by heart, his Hakusui Soul Sleep and Saketsu Chain, the two sources of all Soul Reaper's powers, were removed. And there was a zanpakuto that pierced his heart and perched him up on the blood stained white walls. His eyes were open, and there was no life in it.

"Ca...Ca...Ca...", I squeezed my eyes shut and took in a deep breath.

'No, you have to stay calm and collected Hisana...'

I opened my eyes again and frowned. Immediately, I pulled out my zanpakuto and looked around the area, attempting to find a trace of foreign reiatsu.

I couldn't find anything. So was it a Ryoka that did this? Or someone from our own side?

I heart skipped a beat when I looked up at the corpse again. There was no corpse. There was no Sosuke Aizen, Captain of Fifth Company hang there.

'_Wakahiru...my eyes are not fooling me are they?'_, I asked my zanpakuto spirit. The male voice didn't reply back.

There was no corpse, but there was Captain Aizen's zanpakuto, just hanging there seemingly held up with a normal Shino Academy substitute sword.

My eyes blinked again, over and over, but it was not an illusion. It wasn't the brown haired Taicho there. But it was his sword. But I swore that it was him just a few seconds ago. My heartbeat increased tenfold. I didn't like not being able to understand things happening around me. And what I hated even more was to be helpless and do nothing for the situation at hand.

"What...is going..on?", I cried and walked out into the open field. I began calling out my zanpakuto.

"Swing and scratch the air, Wakahiru!", I shouted, skimming my fingers long the side of the blade, allowing it to transform into its long white bladed Shikai state.

I looked around everywhere, not moving an inch, and then frowning back up at the zanpakuto.

"Captain Aizen? Where are you? Why is it that your zanpakuto is hung up in such a way? Are you still here? Are you still alive? Captain Aizen!", I spoke louder and louder with every passing second.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up as something moved behind me. I lunged and tried aiming at the moving figure. They disappeared before my eyes, and I Wakahiru caught nothing but thin air.

"Shunpo?", I whispered and turned around again, "A Shinigami?"

The hairs on my neck stood up again, but even before I could turn around to attack, a hand clasped over my mouth. My eyes widened, and I tried using Wakahiru to stab the attacker. It the tip of my zanpakuto hit them, but it did not make and ripping sounds whatsoever.

The attacker's spiritual pressure was so strong that Wakahiru just snapped in half.

"So you can see through the hypnosis. No one could have broken through the illusion. But I congratulate you on such a fine task well done.", the attacker, a male by the deepness of the voice whispered in my ear.

"Mmmfh!", I tried screaming, but the grasp on my mouth tightened, and I couldn't breath properly. I tried prying the man's hands off of me, so that I could chant a spell.

"Unfortunately, your role in my schemes have ended long ago. And you should have just died when that Hollow attacked you.", I could feel him smile wickedly, which made me panic even more.

...Hollow?

My heartbeat was so fast now, I swear it could have just popped fright out of my chest.

"Goodbye.", he said warmly. I resisted even more.

And then I just froze. I just stopped moving when the sound of sharp metal sliced through flesh. My own warm blood splattered across the titled floors.

And like I said...I had memorized the anatomy of a Shinigami well enough for me to figure out that my Hakusui Soul Sleep had been cut.

The Saketsu Chain was right above the Hakusui Soul Sleep, perched between my lungs. I had no doubt that my attacker would aim for that organ afterward.

As a desperate attempt to keep my Soul Reaper powers that I've worked hard to obtain, I wormed around in the man's hold so that it wouldn't hit the organ.

I had successfully evaded a direct attack to my Saketsu Chain, that was the goo news.

The bad news, was that the zanpakuto ended up stabbing through my chest and out the other way.

The bigger news was that my heart was in the direct path of the blade.

The worse news was that the sword pierced into all four chambers of my heart on one swift motion.

The heart that was working so hard just then...began to slow down. Until all that I could hear in my head was the stopping beat of my heart.

The attacker let me go, and I felt into the large pool of blood underneath me. I heard the faint sounds of him walking away. I did nothing but just lie there, blood running down my mouth, tears streaming down my face.

_'There is so much blood. There is so much blood...There is so much blood...'_

_'There's...so...much..._

-TBC-

**Please review!**

-Tammy Sakamoto


	18. Senseless Itai

**Okay...as ACPA xox has pointed out, I realized that Ryoga should really actually be Ryoka. Ops! And here I thought I've done a lot of research on it. I borrowed over half to the series volumes from the public library just to read it over and over!**

**Anyway, here's the next Chapter! Please review!**

**And thanks again ACPA xox. (I hope that's your pen name**

I laid there in my own blood for a long time, not moving even an inch. I had no idea how I managed to survive through the entire night, but I did.

I remembered that I closed my eyes and passed out. I thought at that time, I would have died already. But when I could open my eyes again, as the hints of sunlight hit my face, I knew that I was still hanging onto life.

But then later, my eyes began to close by itself again. I just let it happen. I was in so much pain now, but I was also so numb and tired.

Well, I suppose that this is it for my life, I'm actually going to die now. I've faced death so many times that I don't even flinch at the thought. But what about Rukia?

She can't die yet though. She just can't die, when there is still one legal strand of hope left for her.

My fingers felt like lead now, I realized when I tried to move them. I placed it inside my shihakusho, to feel the rough sheet of paper that I stole last night. It was drenched in my blood, and held in place where the zanpakuto pierced my heart.

The zanpakuto was still in my chest.

I was too tired to take our my hand and try to pull out the thing. I frowned as my eyes began to close again.

My face twisted into a pained expression when I felt like my body was disintegrating. I wanted to say that I felt like my soul was being sucked out of my body, but I was already a Konpaku.

Okay...now was really the end. I'm surprised that I could have survived up until now.

_'I'm sorry Rukia...' _

_'Kuchiki Taicho...'_

_'Hisana...'_

_You just wait, milady. You will not die. God will not let you die. This spirit will not let you die._

I smiled when I heard the sound of my zanpakuto spirit.

_'Thanks for your comfort Wakahiru...but...'_

My thoughts were cut short when I heard the cry of a girl.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!"

My breath hitchhiked in my throat. Ow...

It was Lieutenant Hinamori Momo.

Ow...Stop screaming. I think you're pulling me into death more faster...

"Ca...Ca...Ca...Ca..."

She echoed my exact same words from before. I knew how she felt when she would see the body of of her Aizen Taicho.

But...wait a minute.

I opened my eyes again to see that the walls of the Fourth Holy Building displayed the corpse of the brown haired man, just like when I saw it.

So was it his body, or just his sword?

"Captain Aizen!", she cried out. I heard the sounds of running feet. I sensed the reiatsu of some of the other Lieutenants.

"Who's that on the floor?", I heard Rangiku shout out.

Before anyone could check that it was she sprawled out in my own blood, I felt the spiritual pressure of Gin Ichimaru.

"My my, what's all the ruckus so early in the morning?"

I glared at the wall, imagining that it was the silver haired man.

_'I bet this was all you...' _

Hinamori, as if my long lost twin sister, shouted out my thoughts to the Third Seat Captain, "IT WAS YOU!"

I couldn't pay attention to all the fighting and shouting between Hinamori and Izuru, but I knew that they released their zanpakuto to enter into Shikai mode. One big beam of flames nearly hit me when Momo called out Tobiume. I looked ahead to see Wakahiru a few meters away from me.

"Arrest them. Both of them."

I was snapped out of my thoughts, when I heard Hitsugaya's voice. It's been months since we've spoken.

_'Hitsugaya Taicho...'_

"Ichimaru...if you make Momo bleed, I will KILL you!", he threatened the taller man.

Though I really doubt that the short snow haired boy could do anything about the fox man.

I wanted to move from the pain I felt in my chest, but I had lost to much blood, and I was so tired and hurt.

_'Oh my goodness...am I really going to die? Or will someone save me?'_

Someone walked over to where I was standing and crouched down. My long hair had concealed my face, so whoever there were, had to pull the long strands of jet black locks out ot the way to determine just who this Shinigami was.

"Who is this...oh my...shit! Hitsugaya Taicho!", it was Shuuhei's voice.

"What is it?", the short Captain ran over to where we were, "Who is that?"

"It's Hisana! I think she might be dead!", he shouted and pulled me up into his arms, "Hisana! Hisana! Hisana!"

"This is Tenth Company Captain Hitsugaya! Requesting medical aid from Fourth Division! And as well asking that Sixth Company arrive at the Fourth Holy Building for investigation! Make it quick!", the white haired boy hollered and ended communications with the other Gotei 13 members.

Shuuhei kept on shouting out my name in order to try to make me wake up.

But my eyelids just seemed so heavy now...

"Asauchi? A nameless zanpakuto?", Hitsugaya crouched down to me. I felt the slight pressure of two fingers on my neck, and it remained there for some time, trying to find my pulse.

"Can you feel anything?", Shuuhei whispered.

Hitsugaya grunted and let his hand fall down to my shoulders.

"Her pulse is very slow, and very weak. If I haven't focused so much, I would have thought that she was dead.", the snow haired boy gently shook my shoulders, "Sakamoto, wake up. You can't fall asleep. Sakamoto! This is Hitsugaya Taicho!"

"Hisana! Hisana!", Shuuhei grasped me closer to his warm body and shook me.

But I felt so tired...I don't want to open my eyes.

"Come on Hisana! Hisana! You're scaring me!", the Ninth Division Lieutenant shouted in my ear.

I didn't move.

"Her pulse is fading...Sakamoto! I order you to wake up! Now!"

"Hisana!"

They went on like this, begging me to open my eyes until, at last...

"She's-"

"Hisana!"

"_Let go of me!"_

"_No! Hold on! Hold on!"_

"_I love-"_

"_Hisana!"_

"Hisana!"

"...Sakamoto...Hold on..."

"Hisana!"

I took in a breath that I much needed and began coughing up blood.

"Shuuhei-kun...", I wheezed out and looked up at him.

"Thank goodness! Oh my gosh Hisana! Are you alright?"

I blinked and looked at his eyes, feeling the warmth of his chest, before closing my eyes and looking over at the Tenth Division Captain.

"Hitsugaya...Taicho...", I whispered as more blood trickled down my chin.

"Sakamoto, who did this to you?"

I ignored his question and said, "In my shihakusho...there's a piece of a paper that can...Rukia...help..."

"What?"

"Rukia...", I cried and place my bloody hands upon the blade of the zanpakuto in my heart, wincing as it started to ache even more.

"Hisana!", this time it was Shuuhei, shaking me again, "Hisana!"

"This is the Fourth Company relief crew! At your service-! That's...Captain Aizen!", the bunch of male Shinigami cried out at the bloody sight on the walls.

I felt the spiritual pressure of my own Taicho beside Unohana Taicho as they stared up at the blood stained building.

"Hitsugaya Taicho...", the black haired lady called out, "Who is that?"

I felt my eyes wanting to close again...and Shuuhei called out my name and told me to stay awake.

Hitsugaya had been blocking everyone's view of me, and then he stood up.

"Did he just say...", one of my own Company workers rushed over to us. Hitsugaya stepped out of the way.

"...Hisana-san!"

I felt the rush of a bunch of Shinigami from both Division running over to my side and calling out my name.

"Keep order everyone please!", Unohana Taicho said and told them to stand back as I was placed on the transporting bed.

"Ah!", I cried out as more blood came rushing out out all my wounds.

"Unohana Taicho! The zanpakuto is stabbed right through her heart!"

"What should we do?"

She came over to me and placed one hand over the hilt of the zanpakuto.

"We must take it out and stop the bleeding.", she the other hand over my forehead.

"This will hurt, Sakamoto Hisana...", she spoke softly, trying to soothe my pains ans she stood behind my back. I nodded and opened my eyes to look up at her face. My raven haired Taicho was as well looking down at me, with an incomprehensible look at he loomed over the makeshift bed.

"Wait...", I whispered and held the blade in.

"Hisana! We can't wait!", that was Shuuhei.

"I have something to say...", I spoke and showed tried to pull out the piece of paper in my shihakusho, but remembered that the blade was keeping it pinned on me.

"Darn...Hitsugaya Taicho...remember...in my shihakusho, there's a piece of paper that can help Rukia..."

He nodded and held my shoulder down.

"We have to hurry...", the Fourth Division Taicho said as I felt the blade start to move out of my chest.

"Ah! Wait! Wait!", I cried and used my left hand to hold the blade in me.

"Hisana! Are you crazy?", Shuuhei shouted at me.

I frowned a turned back to look at the concerned woman.

"Unohana Taicho...that body...ow...that body...not body..."

"...I beg your pardon?"

I winced and let go of the blade.

I stared at her, trying to tell her that she must check the body thoroughly. She frowned.

"Kuchiki...Taicho.", I looked back at him and let my hands fall over the cotton covered wood.

I gasped a little when I felt his hand holding onto my own. He held onto it firmly as the blood seeped onto his palms and hand guard.

I began coughing, but tried to look at his eyes.

He stared back at me, holding onto my smaller hands tightly.

The action comforted me some how...and my heart was a little bit more at peace.

"Sakamoto...who did this to you?", he demanded.

I smiled and opened my mouth, and all that I could mutter out was a meek, "I'm sorry...Taicho."

_Milady...this will hurt._

I squeezed my eyes shut and awaited for the moment the nameless zanpakuto would be torn out of me.

Unohana's movements were swift and graceful. The pull was clean and very fast. She did the best to relieve me of more pain.

But I screamed any way.

Blood hit everything, the bed, my face, Hitsugaya, Shuuhei...

and my raven haired Taicho.

Darkness came.

I heard muted and muffled cries of my name.

…

…

…

Byakuya looked down at the unmoving figure of his Third Seat Officer. An oxygen mask covered the lower half of her small heart shaped face as her long eyelashes shadowed her cheeks.

Her wounds have temporarily closed, and she was dressed into a white sleeping yukata. The fabric of clothing was pure white, no traces of red blood that before seemed to continuously flow out of her was sinking through the silk.

Sakamoto's hair was let out and fell over neatly to one side of her neck. One strand of her soft bangs fell out of place, and Byakuya quietly pulled it out of her peaceful forehead.

_'There was so much blood...'_, he sighed and held onto her smooth hand that was closest to him.

_'Too much blood.'_

Unohana came in and stood on the other side of the bed.

He was hesitant to ask, but he just had to know, "How is she?"

The shorter lady looked up at him and closed her eyes, 'Her Hakusui Soul Sleep is damaged. I believe that the Saketsu Chain would been hit as well, would have not been for her fast thinking."

Unohana placed a hand gently over the fabric of his subordinate's heart and continued, "But the attacker ended up stabbing her heart."

"...Is she going to die?", the raven haired Kuchiki asked. His own heartbeat seemed to beat faster.

"No. We don't think so. But ultimately the decision is up to her will now."

They stayed silent for a while, looking down at the young Shinigami female.

"Kuchiki Taicho...", the lady began, "Do you know what this is."

She pulled out a folded piece of cloth over to him, and he let go of his Officer's hand to take it.

He unfolded to blue fabric, and it presented to him two petals of a pink hue.

"Lotus Flowers?", he asked.

She nodded, "These were found in her body. One in her mouth, the other in the hole in her chest."

"...I have no idea what these are for."

"That is unfortunate, because neither do we."

Hitsugaya Toshiro entered the room and looked down at the sleeping girl.

"Kuchiki Taicho, Unohana Taicho."

Unohana went to give him another folded piece of fabric, "I recall that Sakamoto Hisana had wanted to give you something."

The white haired boy nodded, "A piece of paper.", he took the blue cloth out of the older lady's hand and opened it out.

Byakuya was curious and confused to see that in the hands of the Tenth Division Captain was a bloody piece of paper, obviously torn out from an old textbook. The two of them could make out q subsection that was circled with black ink.

"It says that Shinigami has a duty to protect the living no matter what the consequences.", Unohana confirmed and looked down at the pale girl.

"She was out the entire night in the Library.", the snowy haired Captain said, "She was looking for a way to save Kuchiki Rukia."

Byakuya held his breath when he heard this. He stared at the girl again and frowned.

_'Why do you all insist on helping her?' _

A nurse knocked on the door and opened it, "Unohana Taicho, Eleventh Company Captain, Zaraki Taicho has just been brought into the relief room."

All three Captains looked at each other, and they moved over to the door to leave.

"Kuchiki Taicho...maybe you should stay with her.", Unohana suggested. He paused and looked over his shoulder, back to the Sakamoto girl.

"No. I mustn't waste my time with her. Seireitei is under attack. I will personally end this trifling conflict and maintain the peace."

"But what if-", Hitsugaya started.

"That will be her problem. She will probably no longer be the Third Seat anymore.", he stated and immediately left the building.

The snow haired boy looked incredulously at the Sixth Division Captain and glared. He slowly turned back to the the young girl, whom he had nicknamed 'Grandmother', because of the two's resembling personalities.

"Ichimaru...You better watch your back...!"

The door closed, leaving the jet black haired girl to rest peacefully.

A few minutes pasted in silence. But in the far corner of the room, a jade green light shone, and out came the figure of someone cloaked in white, the silk fabric glowed mystically. As this person moved toward the bed, they picked from the floor a small object shaped like two lotus petals, and stood in front of the resting girl.

They held up the twp pink petals and placed them both in her mouth. When the petals melted away down her throat, this stranger crouched down and whispered in Hisana's ear:

"Milady, wake up."

Then, they disappeared.

…

…

…

I wasn't totally conscience to what was going on around me, but I could hear their voices, Unohana, Hitsugaya and Kuchiki Taicho.

I don't know if it was in my mind or someone was actually beside me, but their was a very soothing voice that told me to wake up.

I could also hear clearly what my Taicho would be doing. He was going to end all of this himself.

I knew my Taicho well, I knew what his words meant. When he said that all of these trifling conflicts would end he meant that he would see to it that all of the Ryoka would be executed by him...

...and he would make sure that Rukia will die.

I immediately opened my eyes and looked around to locate my zanpakuto. Wakahiru stood on a side table in the corner. I sighed and began moving.

I winced as I felt my wounds respond to my movements. It still hurts, but it felt better than how it did before at the Holy Buildings.

I wearily sat up and push the heavy blankets off my body. Slowly swinging my legs over the bed, I wiped my forehead clean of perspiration.

I slowly marched over to the seal state of my zanpakuto and secured the sheath behind my back, the long jade coloured sting tied neatly in front of me.

And then, I pushed open the shoji doors, running bare feet toward the Sekaimon, where Rukia stayed waiting for her rescue.

_Dear Hisana,_

_It's me again, and I've decided to go with my last open option._

_I'm breaking the law to save your husband's sister. _

_-TBC- _

**Please Review! Thank you all!**


	19. Protection and Love

I ran. And ran. And ran and ran and ran. I was so determined to sprint and get to the Sekaimon as quickly as possible, that I had actually raised my fists at three of the unseated officers of Fourth Company and knocked them out cold.

I swiftly made my official exit out of the Fourth Division barracks, and went through a bunch of alleyways where some of the Eleventh Squad Shinigami were just goofing around. I paid them no heed and went on with my way occasionally kicking some of the Soul Reapers that tried to stop me.

Usually, I wouldn't ever turn to violence like how Renji and Ikkakku did, but I saw no other pathway given to me, when I was in such a hurry to save Rukia. Using up as little time fending off the Shinigami was needed, seeing as there was so little stamina left in me. I wasn't even sure if I could get up the flights of stairs that would provide the only land source to get up to the white tower.

I froze in mid-step when I felt and uncomfortable shift of my stomach. I did have to look down to know that the wound that left me with a damaged Saketsu Chain had reopened, didn't want to look down for fear that I would topple over and fall face first onto the concrete. I felt warm liquid hit my bare naked feet and slide down onto the dirty cement tiles, creating a very small pool of blood around me.

I stood there for quite a while actually, trying to regain composure even when I was in so much pain. If only I still had my Saketsu Chain intact, then maybe this wouldn't considerably weight me down like so.

But my Saketsu Chain WAS destroyed, and I don't know if I'll ever get it repaired. Like what my Taicho said, I would probably lose my position as Third Seat.

_'Kuchiki Taicho...'_

At the moment, I could not use my shunpo or do anything that exceeded natural human limits. And the skin flesh portion of my heart wound was eager to open up as well, so my options to fend off Taicho with the spells I've mastered was out of the question.

_'I still have you though...Wakahiru.'_, I thought and ran my hands across the green linen hilt.

And so, I continued running with all that was left in me, allowing the blood to circulate faster through my veins, and gush out my opened wound more. But I didn't stop, no matter how much hurt there was.

I was just that desperate to get Rukia out of there.

I had finally arrived to the bottom of the flight of stairs when my legs began to wobble and I fell in a heap on the ground. The entire top front of my white yukata had been stained of blood. I was quickly breaking into a cold sweat.

It hurt to breath, and I clutched my sash tightly, trying to somehow soothe pain down to minimum. I still had to long way to go.

I managed to pull Wakahiru out of its heavy sheath and place the tip of his blade on the ground. I used him to stand up and leaned on it as I slowly took a few steps up the staircase.

"Why...why...does it have to be so high up?", I gasped as some hundred more drops of blood fell down the white steps. Both of my hands that clutched onto the green hilt of Wakahiru shook violently, trying to keep the zanpakuto up in that position, which if they didn't I would fall down.

Half way up the flight of stairs, I heard the sounds of two people behind me, one pair of footsteps was heavy, the other was light and tired. They stopped in there tracks about one meter behind my form.

I frowned and looked back at the two.

"Third Seat O-Officer Sakamoto!", the shorter of the two-a Shinigami- cried out.

"...I recognize you as the Seventh Seat of Fourth Company...", I nodded and looked at the other figure, who I had to lean back up to look at, even though the steps I was on were higher than where his feet were.

"You're the Ryoka...", my frown grew as I held onto Wakahiru.

"...Uh...I guess..."

"Get out of here.", I said and looked forward again and moved up one small step, "I don't have time to deal with you now-"

I cringed as the lower cut moved again, causing me to let go of my zanpakuto. This lead me to lose balance and topple forward, heading straight for the jagged edges of the staircase.

The large arms of the black haired Ryoka caught my shoulders and arm before I met the concrete, "Woah cutie! Are you alright?"

I shot a glare at him and tried to pry his hand off of me, "Don't call me that."

"Why not?", he tilted his head, blinking, "You ARE cute. And pretty."

"I said-not to call me that!", I squirmed in his hold.

"Third Seat!", the other Shinigami ran up behind me and held onto my shoulders, supporting me in place of the tall brute. I slowly turned to look up at the boy.

"Your name's Hanataro right?", I asked, to which he quickly nodded. I swallowed, "Why are you with a Ryoka? Do you know you're turning your back on your own people?"

"...I...I...", he stuttered and looked up at the Sekaimon. I did not miss this action.

"What's your purpose in doing all this?", I demanded.

"...Uh...um...I..."

"Look here hon, we don't have to answer you-", that was the tall man speaking.

I looked back at him and yanked Wakahiru out of the Fourth Squad Shinigami, "Silence, you, you person! Ow...", I closed my eyes, "Or I'll slice you up with my zanpakuto."

He scoffed and crossed his arms, "Let's see you try. You're SO in no position to beat me up."

"Stop it Ganju! Please!", the boy cried out and looked down my my kneeling figure.

"Hanataro...", I whispered, holding Wakahiru up.

"Third Seat Hisana...we are going to save Miss Rukia, and you cannot change our minds!"

I gasped and looked up at the Shinigami, then at the unknown brute, "Save...Rukia?"

"Y-yes"

"And you...Ryoka...you and your other friends-"

"Yeah. We're here exactly for that reason!", he unfolded his arms and let them fall to his sides, "And there's nothing you can do about it."

I looked at the two of them and then finally relaxed my shoulders.

"Okay. That's all I need to here."

"Third Seat! Are you going to kill us?", Hanataro nervously asked.

I swallowed and slowly stood up, allowing Wakahiru to support me again, "No."

"What? You're serious?"

"Of course I am...I don't joke around about serious matters like these.", I frowned.

The Ryoka took a step forward and pulled on Hanataro, "Let's get going then! Before she changes her mind!"

"But! She's hurt!"

"She'll be fine! Her Shinigami friends will tend to her wounds!"

"But-", their voices were slowly get further and further away.

"Wait!", I said and slowly followed up the stairs.

"Tsk! What?", the Ryoka Hanataro called 'Ganju' shouted over his shoulders.

I stayed silent for a few seconds, which made them run up the stairs again. With all my courage, I shouted, "I KNOW THIS WILL SHAME ME, BUT PLEASE SAVE RUKIA!"

The two of them quickly looked back at me weirdly and looked at each other. Ganju was the one who replied back again, "Don't worry! There's no way we'll let her die!"

For the first time today, I felt a glimpse of hope in my heart and I smiled at him, nodding. He grinned back at me and continued up the flights of stairs, waving back without looking.

I stood there and whispered to myself praying that Rukia WILL be rescued.

I shook my head and continued making my way up to the white tower. One step at a time...

…

…

…

"Huh? Wah...What? You know her Mr. Ganju?"

"Yes. I know her. How could I forget...that face? She's...the Soul Reaper...who killed my brother."

"Wah...What are you talking about Mr. Ganju? Miss Rukia would never-"

"It's okay Hanataro. If you're a Shiba then your brother did die by my hands."

"Why you!"

"Hey!"

"Do what you want with me. Kill me if you want to."

"Please stop Mr. Ganju! Ichigo entrusted the two of us to save her-"

DA DOOM

DA BOOM

"What's that?"

"It's-"

"A...aahh!"

…

…

…

"Oh...my...goodness...", I squinted my eyes together. It was getting more difficult to see clearly.

I held my stomach wound and dragged up my left foot, "I'm almost there..."

…

…

…

"Die. Senbonzakura!"

"Run!"

"Gah!"

"Oh..."

"Please brother! Stop! No!"

"Senbon-"

"Phew!"

…

…

…

"I'm...almost...", my knees began to wobble, and I fell down onto the last step of the one thousand step of stairs.

…

…

…

"Who's reiatsu is that? It feels like a Captain's but I don't recognize it!"

WOOSH!

"Ich...Ichigo..."

"Hanataro...you okay buddy? What happen?"

"Ah..."

"...I see...sorry buddy."

…

…

…

I felt lightheaded, "No..."

_'No..._

_No! No!_

_NO!_

_I don't want to pass out! I don't want to give up!_

_I don't want to die!_

_I don't want to die!_

_I...can't die now!'_

The mess of blood grew near my waist. It began oozing onto the next steps.

_'I can't...die yet!_

_Get up!'_

…

…

…

"I...Ichigo..."

"Don't worry Hanataro. I'm here now..."

"Ichigo..."

…

…

…

_'Move!'_

I strained myself to sit up.

…

…

…

"So all your requests are now rejected!"

"What? You fool what kind of rescue IS this?"

"Just go into a corner and act scared and say stuff like 'Save me!'"

"Byakuya...who is he?"

"...He's not related."

…

…

…

_'Gotta stop the blood!_

_Let me...'_

…

…

…

"Not to the one you're thinking off anyway."

"Ichigo...fool...never listen to what I say, always making me worried."

"All you do is worry about me. You should be worried about yourself!"

…

…

…

_'Fight again!'_, I cried and pushed myself to sprinting across the wooden floor.

…

…

…

"And Rukia."

…

…

…

_'Rukia...'_

Imprints of my bloody feet stained the clean floor.

…

…

…

"I've come-"

…

…

…

_'I'm coming...'_

…

…

…

"To-"

…

…

…

_'To...'_

…

…

…

"Rescue you!"

…

…

…

_'Rescue you!'_

I weakly skidded to a stop.

Finally...finally...

I saw Ukitake Taicho, a man I didn't expect to see, turn around to see just who was running so wildly. His eyes widened.

"Sakamoto! What are you doing here?"

I looked at him and bit my lip, "Rukia."

"Don't tell me that you're..."

I ran up to him, dragging Wakahiru behind me, "Ukitake Taicho..."

He held onto the bottom of my elbows and supported me, "I heard what happened to you. You shouldn't be here!"

"No...I can't rest now!"

"Sakamoto..."

I pulled my gaze away from his eyes and looked down at an even bloodier mess than me, just lying on the floor.

"You...", I pulled away from him and crouched down to the Ryoka brute I've met just a few moments before.

"..."

"Ganju? Right?"

"..."

"You're not dead. Yet.", I sighed and placed a hand on his forehead.

I frowned and examined his wounds. They were definitely from my Taicho's zanpakuto. I quickly looked up at him, his back still turned to me.

"Kuchiki...Taicho!", I stood up, too quickly, which made me want double over in pain.

Far from the other side of the long bridge connecting to the Sekaimon, I saw a figure that looked something like Rukia take a few steps before she collapsed. It must have been from the Seki Seki that absorbed all reiatsu in it.

I wasn't in such better condition, and while I was still standing, I ran over to my raven haired Taicho and fell down beside his feet.

I coughed and closed my eyes and opened them, trying to clear my blurring vision. I blinked a few more times before turning to look up at the raven haired man's tall figure. After coughing a few more times, I began speaking.

"Kuchiki Taicho, I..."

he silenced me with a raised hand, "You must not be speaking when bearing such injuries."

"Kuchiki Taicho, but..."

"Sakamoto, you have lost a lot of blood. Go back to the relief station."

"...I ran away from it. I'm not going back."

"Sakamoto."

"Kuchiki Taicho!", I whispered and held back a cough.

"Do not make me cross."

"Taicho...", I frowned and shook my head, "I know that my Saketsu Chain is gone. And I know I won't probably be a Shinigami much longer."

I took a hold of the ends of his black hakama, "But I'm still a Seated Officer. And using my position as your Third Seat,", I coughed, "Can you please just let them go?"

He stayed silent but then he allowed his raised hand to hang by his side, "No."

"But-"

"Sakamoto," he looked at me and then he pulled his shihakusho out of my grasp, "I will personally bring you back to the Fourth Division.", then he looked forward and began walking, "Once this trifling conflict all comes to an end."

My eyes widened, catching what he meant, "Wait! Taicho!"

I crawled and held onto his pants again, "Please! They just want to save Rukia!"

"Sakamoto! Let go. Or I will be forced to take action."

"Kuchiki Taicho!", I winced and retracted one of my arms to hold onto the side of my waist. I lost too much blood...

"Let. Go."

I shook my head nervously and reached for Wakahiru. He saw this coming of course, and kicked my zanpakuto away. I looked back at him and pulled my eyebrows together.

"Taicho...it's your own sister..."

"I must uphold the law. I will say this one more time for your dense mind. Let go."

"N-no way."

"..."

"..."

I swallowed and slowly pulled myself up using the fabric of his uniform.

He looked down at me again as I looked up at him, "I begging you...Taicho...just please..."

"This is unacceptable.", he pulled out one hand and pushed me back to one of the wooden railings. I let out a small squeak and held onto the railing for dear life.

"Look at you. Look at all this blood. Do you want to die?", he lectured me and looked forward again.

I stared back at the side of my Taicho's face and wiped the sweat out of my eyes. I wasn't aware of how tired I was until now.

"If I die...at least,", I ran at him and grabbed his forearm, "I know that I died trying to save someone that is like my sister!"

He snapped his head back at me and glared, and I looked back up at him, "You are NOT her sister."

I wanted to run away, but I didn't. I knew that my name was a sore subject for him, but he should not have reacted like so.

For the umpteenth time I shook my head and stood in front of him, "It's your own sister, Taicho."

He ordered me to step aside one more time to which I replied with a firm shake of my head. To where I found this confidence, I didn't know where, and I was still bleeding out of my stomach wound. But I kept a fixed gazed at him.

He lost his patience with me, I realized when he moved his arm to the side of his sash, "I have tried to persuade you, Sakamoto. So be it.", he shook his head and unsheathed his Senbonzakura, "I will make you back down."

the next thing I knew, his katana was situated by the side of my neck. I swallowed, but pushed out my arms in a blocking stance.

"Fine.", I said above a whisper.

"...Fine.", he whispered himself.

"Sakamoto!", it was Ukitake Taicho calling out from behind the Kuchiki leader.

"Hisana-san!", it was Rukia.

"Third Seat Sakamoto!", that was Hanataro.

I saw the shine of his metal and braced myself for impact.

_'This is going to hurt!', _I thought and shut my eyes.

"Wait! Get out of there, Hisana!"

I opened my eyes again, a look of surprise on my face. That wasn't a voice that belonged to any Shinigami I know. The tall raven haired man in front of me stopped moving, confusing me even more.

"Hisana!", it was the voice of a male.

The look of surprise on my face turned into bewilderment.

The sound of my heartbeat hit my ribcage and thumped in my eardrums. Just like when that bright orb flew by me yesterday when the Ryoka broke into the Seireitei. The beat of my heart hadn't beat so hard in the past seven years.

Butterflies formed in my stomach when I heard the voice call out to me again.

"Hisana! Hisana! Get out of there! Hisana!"

"I...", I whispered to myself, causing my Taicho to look down at me again.

"What is it?", the raven haired man questioned. I didn't answer him.

All I did was slowly turn my head back to toward the Sekaimon white tower.

My eyesight started to get blurry again, but I tried my best to make out the sight. I blinked a few times to try to make out everything.

I saw Hanataro to one side clutching his arms in front of his chest. Then I looked to see Rukia breaking into a cold sweat, her knees shaking just like mine.

Finally, my eyes landed on a relatively tall boy with bright orange hair. I lightly coughed as I realized that he seemed to be just around my age, about fifteen years of age in the Human World. He wearing the black shihakusho like other Shinigami and his chest was revealed to be covered in bandages.

"Hisana!", it was the orange haired boy that called out my name. My lips slightly parted.

My heart was an all out wild drum.

"Hisana! Hisana..."

I took one shaky step forward. I froze again when I felt one hand on my shoulder and a sharp blade on my cheek.

"Don't move."

The bright haired boy's eyes widened as he himself took a step forward.

"Let go of her! Hisana! Hold on!"

"_Hold on! Hold on!"_

I pushed my Taicho's zanpakuto off of me, to which he responded by squeezing my shoulder harder. I looked back at him and then forcefully threw his hand off of me, pushing him back. I'm pretty sure that he was taken off guard. I night have opposed him sometimes, but I never laid one hand on him with an offensive motive.

I didn't bother to worry about it, because I started running to the three.

"_I-it's alright, I'll give all of my bun, and you don't have to shared your food with me.", I laughed nervously. He looked like someone who just came out of a gangster movie! I definitely didn't want to piss him off, neither do I want his suspicious laced tempura. _

"_I just wanted a small piece of it, I like pork buns.", he commented, "You're a little bit lanky...having more variety of food is good for you."_

_I blushed, "I get enough nutrition..." In truth, I really did want a bite out of that shrimp tempura. _

_He pushed it closer to me, "Come on...or I can't eat."_

"_You can have the pork bun!"_

_He smirked, "The bento isn't laced with poison or drugs..."_

"_I didn't say it was..."_

"_I think you were thinking it.", he suggested._

I continued running.

"_Yura! Come here!" the red head cooed._

"_What is it?"_

"_Sit beside 'Kuku' here!"_

"_Didn't I ask you to stop calling me that?"_

"_Whatever. Now, tell the entire class you guys' secret!"_

_Yura blushed, "W-what secret?"_

"_Don't play dumb! You guys are dating aren't you?"_

"_What the- where did you get that idea from?", he asked unbelievability._

My heart slowed down a little as I neared them.

"_Listen here! All of you!", he pulled me into the classroom. "I'm not going out with Yura, and I don't like her like that either! So stop bothering her! Because-"_

_He raised up my hand into the air, and I stared wide eyed at him:_

"_Because I am head over heels in love and crazy about Sakamoto Hisana!"_

My heart quickened once more.

_And he went in for a sloppy kiss, while everybody in class squealed and whistled._

I was in great pain now because I haven't moved this fast today, but I still kept running.

The orange haired boy moved forward a little more.

_He smirked, "The bento isn't laced with poison or drugs..."_

"_I didn't say it was..."_

"_I think you were thinking it.", he suggested._

Tears began forming at the rims in my eyes as my arms opened up too. Two more steps.

"_One two three.", we shoved the food into our mouths, chewed and swallowed._

One more step...

"_Why did you have to go through all that trouble when I offered you my pork bun for free?"_

"_Because I wanted to show you tell you could trust me."_

_We just stared at each other for a moment, and then we smiled. _

"_I'm Sakamoto Hisana."_

"_Hi, I'm-"_

"Ichigo-kun!", I cried out to the teenager as he pulled me into his arms. My arms flung at his neck.

"...Hisana...!", he whispered and hugged me tighter.

If time had stopped at that moment, I would have gladly stayed in my boyfriend's arms forever more.

-TBC-

**Did you guys expect that? I tried to hint some little things here and there about her boyfriend, with Ichigo and his personality, his 'abstract' hair, Karakura High School, etc. So? Who guessed that it was Ichigo? I know that mangaaddict (I recall), was the first person to figure this out, and I asked them to stay quiet, so thank you! And I think that Kairi-senpai may have figured this out too. **

**That's why I had this author's note about how Hisana was the same age as Orihime and Ichigo, because if Hisana was still a human, then she would as well be fifteen just like the other Ryoka. Plus, she had to look like a fifteen year old in order for all of this to work out. It just wouldn't make sense if I didn't tell you guys when this happened. So I thank everyone who took the time to read my author's note. **

**New record. This chapter was fifteen pages long! But I haven't updated for a long time. So here you go! Its Spring Break where I am, so expect more updated chapters! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto**


	20. Square One

**This is the Twentieth Chapter of my Byakuya story!**

**To rikka, who commented on the previous chapter, the age thing for Hisana is a bit difficult and confusing. She died less than seven years ago, but at the moment she takes the form of a fifteen year old teenage girl. She's the same age as Ichigo when he invades the Seireitei, which is fifteen. Seven years ago, that makes her eight when she died. But if she died then, than she would look like a kid now, which...doesn't work. For now, just picture Hisana Sakamoto looking around Orihime's age (fifteen!). **

**But if you read back to the end of the eleventh volume of Bleach, when Renji remembers his time in Rukongai with Rukia, after knowing each other for ten years they've taken the form of teenagers when they should have still looked like ten. It's the same idea for Hisana, I guess. **

**WELL I HOPE THAT YOU WILL READ THE VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOT ABOVE EVERYONE!**

_Time...why don't you just stop here and now, so that I can always stay in his arms..._

_Ichigo..._

"Ichigo..."

"...I'm not dreaming...am I...? Hisana...?"

"Uh uh."

"Hisana...", Ichigo forced me to look up at him, still holding onto my shoulders, "I thought I would never see you again..."

I held onto his loose shihakusho top more firmly and closed my eyes, "It's been..."

"Six years, twelve months and a few days."

I let out a weak smile and opened my eyes, "A few days is it?", my smile weakened, "Why didn't you just...just forget about me?"

I slowly let go of his clothes and trailed my shaking hands up to his face. I didn't dare touch him with my red palms, so I used the back of my hands to trace the outlines of his rough jaw. He's exactly the way he was when I was still alive.

The bright haired teenager caught my hands when I reached the tip of his chin, and pressed my hand entirely onto his bandaged cheek.

He muttered out, "...Silly..."

Ichigo pulled me into his chest, holding on tightly on my shoulder and waist, "I will never forget someone that's so important to my life."

I could hear the soft but fast beating of his heart, a sweet little lullaby to my ears and I pressed my head closer to him. He reacted by stroking my long loose hair.

"Ichigo..."

"...Hisana."

"...sniff...I've missed you so much...", I whispered and cried into him.

"Pft...that's so corny.", he nuzzled the hair on the back of my head, "But I missed you even more."

I smiled and blinked slowly, looking over to Sokyoku Hill. My eyes blinked more quickly when I remembered that this was no time to embark into romance endeavors.

I turned my head back to look at the still unconscious form of Ganju the brute, Ukitake Taicho and my own boss. He looked somewhat stunned, but I could have been wrong because his eyes slowly turned icy when he caught my stare.

"Taicho...", I said, and pulled myself out of Ichigo's strong hold. I slowly turned around to look at him square in the face.

He took in a shallow breath and glared.

"..."

"..."

"What do you want to say?"

"...I have nothing to say."

"Then move."

"N-no!", I cried out and moved one feet forward, loosing balance and falling before Ichigo caught me.

"Hisana...there's no point in arguing with him. You saw what he would do.", he reminded me of when my Taicho was about to cut me before Ichigo interrupted.

"Ichigo you-"

I let out a small yelp when he carried me up by my shoulders and knee.

"You're hurt Hisana.", he walked over to Hanataro and Rukia and gently placed me down between the two of them, "Hanataro, can you heal her for me?"

"Y-yes."

"Ichigo,", I started, "What are you going to do?"

He looked down at me and replied, "I'm going to get us all out of here."

Rukia spoke up, "Are you insane? You can't possibly beat him!"

I nodded and sat up again, "Ichigo, stop!"

He looked at the two of us, who slowly began to help each other up with the help of the shorter Fourth Division Shinigami.

"Mr. Ichigo..."

"Hanataro...take care you them while I'm going."

"Ichigo!", Rukia and I shouted at him.

"Huh? What?"

"No!"

"...I'm not giving up. I've come all this way to rescue you Rukia...

and now I have someone else I have to protect..."

The two of us stayed silent for a moment until Rukia spoke again, "You fool...look at yourself. Hisana-san,", she turned to me, "You too! Why are you all doing this for me? Ichigo...you idiot!"

I looked at her and then to Ichigo, who was staring off to his large's friend's form.

"Okay...so I'm an idiot. You can yell at me all you want...", he turned around and began walking toward the two captains.

"After I beat him."

Like before, he was always hardheaded, so I ran up to him again and held his black shirt, "Ichigo! Let's just go!"

He stopped again, and I kept my hold on him, trying to find some sort of assurance that he won't go off and fight Kuchiki Taicho. I dared not to look at the latter male.

"Ichigo...I don't know how you could have possibly gotten here when you're still a human, but I just know that you can't take on any Shinigami,", I whispered and turned to look at the back of his head, "Much less a Captain!"

"..."

"Please Ichigo..."

"...Hey Hisana..."

I blinked and raised one eyebrow, a little moved that his voice could be so calm and collected.

"Huh?"

"...You've never seen me fighting have you?"

"...No..."

"Not even back in Karakura."

"Exactly! So you mustn't fight-!"

"If you have the guts to stand up to big shot Kuchiki there, why can't I?"

"Ichigo please..."

I slowly stepped diagonally behind him, so I could see a little of his face.

"Last time, you protected me..."

I stayed silent.

"...So this time, and from now on, I'll protect you."

"Ichigo..."

"So just watch, okay?"

"..."

"Don't worry...", Ichigo turned back to look down at me.

I could feel my cheeks growing slightly pink.

"I won't get myself killed."

My heart melted and my grip on his shihakusho loosened.

"Hisana, I'll come back for you and Rukia. And Orihime and Uryuu and Chad and Hanataro and Ganju."

With the way that he smiled at me, how could I not comply and let go of him? As he nodded and continued walking forward, I held a hand to my chest to calm down my fast heartbeat.

_'Ichigo...this time I'm the one letting go of your hand. But please..._

_...please don't fall down a cliff fighting Kuchiki Taicho!'_

My cheeks were very red now, and I slowly walked back to where Rukia and Hanataro was to watch the starting battle.

I could feel my Taicho's piercing gaze on the two of us as we walked in different directions.

When I reached the two shorter Shinigami I turned to face Rukia and hold her hands. She looked at me shamefully and then to Ichigo.

"He's not strong enough...", the black haired girl whispered over and over again.

I held her hand and looked at Ichigo walking and talking to her adoptive brother, "...He said that he'll come back for all of us...and he will."

I gave her a smile, and she looked down at my hands holding hers. Then she held mine back tightly.

_Dear Hisana,_

_It's me again._

_Your husband is about to fight Ichigo._

_And I'm going to pray to you that Ichigo will win._

_That means that Kuchiki Taicho will- _

I tensed as the spiritual pressure around us became monstrously thick and heavy. Rukia and I fell to our knees, trying our best not to be forced more to the ground. I looked over to my Taicho, who I was sure was emanating his reiatsu to the environment around us. Ichigo wasn't fazed at all from what I could see, which assured me bit by bit that maybe he really could stand a chance.

I wasn't able to catch what my raven haired Taicho was saying, but right after he muttered something to the orange haired teenager, he disappeared. My eyes widened at the sudden movement and I screamed out to Ichigo to block from behind him.

Ichigo heard me and he shifted his rather enormous zanpakuto to block Senbonzakura. Right after, the Sixth Company Captain appeared from behind, his zanpakuto had missed.

I sighed in relief as Ichigo smirked, "I can see you Kuchiki Byakuya!"

He Kuchiki leader was close enough that he was in earshot, "So you've improved. Your reflexes are rather good if you can react in time with Sakamoto's call."

"Heh!"

"Ichigo! Take a few steps back!", I screamed. The two of them jumped away from each other. The raven haired man came closer to where Hanataro, Rukia and I crouched.

I swallowed at kept my gaze on my Taicho's back. I knew that if he could have the chance, he would have turned back and intimidated me with his pissed off glare as he said:

"Decided to aid the intruders against your own Captain, have you Sakamoto?"

I could symbolically feel the harsh slap in the face I just gave him. I didn't answer back.

"Hey! Byakuya! Your fights with me! Leave her out of this!", Ichigo shouted.

"...Yes, of course...Well then...before you drown in the new found strength of yours...", my Taicho replied to Ichigo and his challenge, drawing Senbonzakura so that it was in front of him and the tip was pointing to the sky.

The two of us girls, Rukia and I gasped and called out to Ichigo to run, "! Get away!"

"...I will show you..."

"No!"

"The overwhelming difference in our skills."

"Ichigo!"

"You couldn't defeat me in one thousand years."

"ICHIGO, RUN!", we both cried out.

The orange haired boy stood there, his eyes wide open and alert.

"Die."

"!"

At that moment, the good timing of a dark skinned lady with long black hair held onto a long white band of cloth that held my Taicho's zanpakuto from disintegrating. I didn't know who she was, but everyone present and conscious was stunned to see how fast she was.

"It's...Yoruichi!", my Captain said. Ukitake Taicho for afar nodded his head in conformation.

"Yoruichi?", I asked myself, and Rukia explained to ma and Hanataro that she was the former Captain of the Second division one hundred years ago.

The dew few seconds flew by quickly. I didn't catch what the female, apparently former leader of the Onmitsukido said to the raven haired Kuchiki. I jumped up when Ichigo, who seemed to know her, began repeating to her that he would beat Byakuya...

...and ended up with her fist in his stomach.

"Ichigo!", I cried and ran. Rukia stopped me before I could take the third step.

I watched in horror as he fell into the chocolate skin lady's shoulders and looked over to the white haired Captain.

Ukitake Taicho began talking to her, though I didn't really pay any attention to what was going on. My eyes were focused on Ichigo's back the entire time. At that moment, I felt like crying. Tears began to well up in my eyes when the strange female jumped way from us, Ichigo not responding at all, his arms dangling around like a rag doll's. He's still alive right?

I didn't want to leave him. I wanted to run to him and hold onto his form, to make sure that I would never be separated from him ever again.

When this so called 'Yoruichi' person disappeared, I slowly moved my eyes to Byakuya, his eyes calculating, as if determining which way the two Ryoka could have escaped to.

My head swiftly turned to Rukia, who at that time was still holding onto me. As quickly as possible, I pulled her up to her feet and pulled at her arm, signaling that she should follow me and make an escape for it. Her violet orbs were hesitant as she looked into my brown ones, silently asking me if she should really run.

I whispered to her, "We have to."

The black haired girl's eyes slowly developed to clearly show that she would not leave, causing me to pull at her arms again.

"Rukia!", I whispered again, this time with a hint of desperation.

The next thing I knew after uttering the Kuchiki female's name was that my two feet were dangling a few feet above the floor. I tried to take in a short breath, but the Kuchiki male's fingers were squeezing at my throat, making even breathing out a near impossible task.

"Just who do you think you are...", my Taicho hissed, and I glanced down to see that he was talking through clenched teeth.

As if it be anymore cruel, his nails gouged into the sides of my neck, making me cough. I could hear Rukia calling out to her older brother.

"How dare you, you blinded fool, mock my name, insult the Sixth Division...", he continued and I could remembered the physical condition I was in, "...I'll _kill _you..."

I felt the ledge of the wooden bridge pressing painfully into the low portion of my spine. The upper half of my body hung off the ledge from a dangerously high point. It may have not been that bad if my feet was still planted on the floor, but they weren't, and I felt like my legs would fall over the railings of the Sekaimon at any given instant. The only thing preventing me from hitting the buildings fifty feet below was the hand of the bane of my existence.

"K-Kuch-i...", I choked out, holding onto his wrist and arm sleeve. The awkward way I was bent allowed my stomach wound to better spill out the masses of red fluid from my body. I was grateful that the twenty stitches keeping my heart inside hasn't failed...yet.

"K-Ku...i...T-Ta...ugh...!", I sobbed again, opening my eyes to meet his.

"...", he didn't say anything, but the other free hand he had pushed Rukia and Hanataro off of him and quickly drew out his zanpakuto.

The tip of Senbonzakura was just a few centimeters away from my forehead, the area where a pressure point was, the same place were David threw the stone at Goliath's head, and instantly killed him.

The one who had repetitively saved my life wanted to slay it now, and never before have I felt so scared.

"_Die."_

"Do you _really_ want to do that?", came a concerned voice. Both of your eyes peered over to the Thirteenth Division Taicho.

"Ukitake...this is not a matter concerning you."

"So what? I'm asking you Kuchiki Taicho, do you really want her killed?"

"...I would be liberated."

The unopened hole wasn't even needed to make my heart ache.

"No. You wouldn't be."

"...Like I said. It's not your business."

"No. It isn't.", the taller man shook his head, "It's a matter between a _Third Seat_ and her superior. But I want to know...would you really want to see Hisana die?"

"..."

"Do you really want to see another woman...see _Hisana_, die in your arms again?"

I closed my eyes again and understood what the older man was trying to do.

My eyes shot opened again when the dead grip on my throat tightened, my mouth opening a little. Finally, Kuchiki Taicho released me and used the dry front portion of my yukata to yank me back to ground.

I wheezed and coughed, grasping my neck and holding in my guts with the other arm. Air...air...air...

I quietly sobbed and swallowed in deep breaths while Ukitake Taicho slowly kneeled beside me. The white haired man did not receive the chance to hand me Wakahiru before I was dragged away by my right arm, the Sixth division Taicho grasping the green hilt of my zanpakuto.

I cried out when I saw blood, MY blood, smearing everywhere that I was dragged. Rukia was pulled back by her own Division's Taicho, stopping her from helping me. It was disgusting to watch how much of the red liquid could...I directed my attention to the twenty-eighth head's feet.

I continued to whimper in pain as I was violently pulled along the floor, the stairs directly ahead. Thankfully, Byakuya used shunpo to prevent walking down the ever exhausting flights of stairs, and I sighed in relief.

When I hit the cement ground with a thump, he continued pulling on my soar wrist, allowing the dirt around my legs to stick to my clothes.

"Just because I respected Ukitake's wish to spare your life, it doesn't mean that you will dodge all consequences.", he calmly said, though his eyes showed anger.

"...I was prepared to meet punishment when I tore out that sheet of paper last night.", I retorted, leading him to halt in his tracks.

"Stop wasting your energy trying to save Kuchiki Rukia. It's pitiful and pathetic to observe you struggle.", he shoved my arm away him, and a clumsily fell to the floor, panting.

"...I'm not giving up.", I said and smiled to myself, "Ichigo would never give up...He wouldn't be happy to see that I let go when I've already-"

"Guards.", the raven haired man interrupted, and I asked myself if I was that weak now to not notice the reiatsu of the Onmitsukido trudging towards me.

"Kuchiki Taicho! Third Seat Officer Sakamoto-!", the head said.

"There's not a need to address her like that anymore. She won't hold that seat for much longer...once after her Ryoka lover is exterminated."

I shot a furious glance at his way, clenching my teeth as he instructed a few of them to throw me in the detention cells.

"Sir! But she is injured!"

"She chose to leave the relief station, and she willfully chose to aid the Ryoka. So she'll see fit to know that prison is where she chose to rot."

"..."

"..._Now_...", he hissed, and they immediately pulled me up by my arms.

"..."

There were so many things I had to say to him as they dragged me off. But I had wasted too much energy...maybe I wouldn't have dared to speak to him ever again. But however my silence was reasoned, the only thing I did was disappointingly look back into Byakuya's eyes.

-TBC-

**I'm not too proud of this chapter, but please look forward to the next action packed filled ones! Guaranteed! And please review! Thanks! -Tammy Sakamoto**


	21. The Decisions We Make

**I'm back! Sorry! My apartment was being painted and I didn't really get the time to make this chapter because I was occupied by it. Plus, I was reading a Kensei OC story that was really good, so yeah. Once after this is finished or something, I'm thinking of making a Kensei OC story, whether its a one-shot or long chapter one will be considered. But do you guys like Kensei Ocs? He's not too much of a popular character...**

**Anyway, here is the next chapter! And I've just got my ninetieth review for The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her! Thanks you guys! **

**-Tammy Sakamoto **

I turned to look over to look at the owner of the new shadow in my cell, and immediately glanced away.

"...", I didn't say anything to him, and for a while, neither did the figure.

Through the metal poles of my cell, I heard him gently whisper my name, to which he received no reply. I simply stood up and limped over to the hard bed I was given by the guards and lied down.

The minuted ticked by between the two of us, neither of us giving an effort to make conversation. I had hoped that maybe he would leave if I had said nothing, but he persisted to stay.

"...Why.", Hyoe whispered, "Why Hisana-san?"

I turned to look at his crouching form in front of my little cold room, but didn't look at his face. I knew what he was talking about, but I remained apathetic.

"...Won't you answer me?"

"..."

"Hisana-san...why?"

"..."

I heard him sigh, a hint of frustration in his voice as he took of the leaf shaped hat off of his head.

"..."

"..."

"Please speak to me."

"..."

"Hisana-san..."

"..."

"They're considering to put you on the death row for aiding Ryoka."

"..."

"They think that you were conspiring against the Seireitei."

"..."

"Why won't you say anything?"

"..."

"Are you not afraid?"

Finally, I directed my eyes to his, slowly a smile creeping onto my face.

"There's nothing to be afraid of...when I see him."

"...", it was Hyoe's turn to remain silent, the look on his face showed that he was perplexed.

"...You shouldn't be here. You might get in trouble, Hyoe."

"...But."

I shook my head, the corner of my lips turning up even more, "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

"_Don't worry about me..._

"_I'm not going to die."_

"I'm not going to die, Hyoe."

I slowly blinked and turned my back to him, leaning my head against the walls of the small detention cell. It was awfully cold, and dark too. My toes crunched and scrunched together as I let out an inaudible sigh.

_Ichigo..._

"Why are you still here...?", I whispered.

"..."

"Hyoe!", I snapped and looked back at the navy haired preteen.

"...If you're not afraid when you're in there...then why...", he shot up to a standing position and stared me down, "Why should I be scared when I'm out here?"

"...Hyoe, what are you..."

"Hisana-san!", he curled his tanned fingers around two metal poles, "I'm going to help you."

My eyes widened and I shook my head, "What are you-"

"I'm going. to. help. You.", he hissed.

"..."

"Anything at all Hisana-san..."

"You idiot...", I mumbled and turned back around, "What have I ever done for you?"

"Comfort."

"You've got to be kidding me Hyoe. What can you possibly do?"

"Anything...", he muttered and took a few steps back, "I'll...I'll even break down this rail!"

"..."

"I'll help you unconditionally, Hisana-san."

"..."

"..."

Finally after glancing back at him in a horse stance and his hands ready to punch something, I took in a breath and heaved myself up. As painfully shuffled over to him standing in the light, I rubbed my forearm, and swallowed.

"...You just tell me anything..."

"...I'm going to need two things than." 

I asked for a nurse's uniform and a zanpakuto spirit extractor.\

…

…

_One hour later_

A zanpakuto spirit extractor was a complementary Onmitsukido doll figure. Because the Secret Remote Squad had close ties with the Fifth's messenger Division, it had been a simple job for Hyoe to retrieve one for me.

As for the special Fourth Division uniform, it was my ticket out of the detention building.

…

…

…

"Sakamoto Hisana's treatment is complete for the day."

The guard nodded over to the female and swiftly opened the large lock to my cell. The timid nurse slowly moved toward the small gate and bowed to the guard prior to moving away from the cold room.

The guard did not spare a glance at the unconscious body lying on top of the hard bed, and tightly locked the door behind him.

"Wait.", his deep voice called out. She stopped in her tracks, but did not completely turn her body back to face the man. Instead, her head rotated clockwise the slightest bit.

"You're expected to come back five hours later. Those are the conditions set out by Kuchiki Taicho of Company Six.

She curtly nodded and continued on her way, just once sparing a glance at three other cells that contained one petite female, one blonde man and the last one housing a sleeping flaming red head.

'Sakamoto Hisana', did not move a muscle in her cold dark cell.

…

…

…

I sighed and shut the heavy doors behind me as I exited the detention headquarters. Hyoe waited outside for me, something concealed and hidden behind him. I didn't have to take a look to know that it was the doll I had requested.

"I don't know when they'll realize that I knocked her unconscious and impersonated a nurse.", I began and stood in front of the taller preteen, "It should be at least five hours later, but who knows?"

"What now?", he whispered.

I calmly replied to him, "We get out of here."

He nodded and took a firm grip on my right forearm, his right hand grasping onto the wooden fabric of the doll. He flash stepped us to the Gotei 13 offices, defenses up the entire way.

…

…

…

"_Attention all Taicho, Lieutenant and proxy-Captains of the Thirteen Court Squad Companies!"_, hell butterflies flew to each of their targeted receivers, _"The Lieutenants of Third, Fifth and Sixth Division and as well as Third Seat of Company Sixth have all escaped from their _

_cells!_

_The recapture of Kira Izuru, Hinamori Momo, Abarai Renji, and Sakamoto Hisana is to be fulfilled as soon as possible with all forms of force permitted by Sotaicho Yamamoto! Repeat: as soon as possible and by any means necessary!" _

"Shoot.", Hyoe hissed violently and quickened his shunpo to cover longer ranges of ground.

"I sensed an interference of reiatsu just now.", I whispered by his side and looked up at it, "They found out didn't they?"

The navy haired boy nodded, "Three other Assistant Captains got out too."

"...Hyoe."

"Huh? Yes? Hisana-san?"

"You can leave now."

He snapped his head to look at me from the side of his face, "What are you saying? They're out there looking for you now and you want me to-"

"...Don't worry."

"No! I'm involved now! I'm not going to leave you be when you can't get full access to your Shinigami power!"

"I have Wakahiru now."

"Hisana-san!"

I sighed and resisted against his hold, "I'm fine. And besides...", I looked over to the sign in front of us, "We're here."

He slowly gazed over at the wooden board and his eyes doubled in size, "Y-you don't..."

"Yes."

"I'm going to say this again but are you _insane?_", he quietly whispered, but the urgency in his voice showed that he was utterly shocked and scared.

"...", I closed my eyes and willed enough power to pull my forearm out of his hand.

The navy haired boy didn't stop me as I slowly limped over to the large gates, dragging the awkward Onmitsukido doll and my green sheathed zanpakuto behind me.

I swallowed and cleared my throat, obviously nervous about the decision I have made. I was having second thoughts about taking this route, but who wouldn't be?

"Ichigo...", I whispered and thought back to how sure he looked facing my Taicho. My smiled faltered as the image of a blood-lust Kuchiki leader appeared in the void of my mind...

"Hisana-san...", I glanced back at Hyoe breaking into a nervous sweat. It took me a moment before I responded in any way. When my reaction DID come though, it came as a reassuring smile for the young man and as well for me.

With just that, I kicked the double oak doors wide open and trudged into the humongous office of an unsuspecting Taicho and Lieutenant. Once both of my feet were firmly on the dirty tiles, I confidently trudged toward the designated building, and when I stood in front of yet another set of dark oak doors, I kicked it in. I was met with darkness and shadows, the sounds of think liquid inside of large beakers were heard. It wasn't populated with Shinigami that worked for the Division, but the few that WERE present did one take of a girl that looked to be from the hospitality Division and sneered. Two of them walked over to me, and smirked menacingly.

"What's some wimp from Unohana's Squad doing here?", one of them, the taller one spoke up. The other buffer one in appearance laughed and used one large hand to push my shoulders back, causing me to stumble. I mentally thanked the true Fourth Company nurse that tended to my wounds before I had knocked her out. Why you may ask? It was simply because that shove of this brute would have led me to fall back and reopen my gaping injury.

"Out.", I stated and walked past the two, making sure that they caught a glimpse of my face in the sunlight.

"W-what? What is Third Seat Sakamoto doing here? You're supposed to be in jail-!"

"I said out.", I hissed before continuing my walk.

"Wait a minute!", the other Shinigami bellowed, causing the rest of his fellow subordinates to stand in front of me.

"Move.", I said, placing Wakahiru in the thick white kimono obi of the nurse uniform and pulling at his hilt, revealing the cool metal blade of my zanpakuto.

Their hands went immediately to their own hilts and surrounded all around me.

I couldn't tell who was speaking, but I suspected that it could have been one of the first two Soul Reapers to get in my way, "I bet if we catch her, we can jump up a few seats. Taicho would be impressed at us for catching the famous Sakamoto of Sixth Division!"

I heard them laugh darkly, until when, like just from thin air, a loud boom from an explosion occurred. I snapped my behind back to see the original bodies of the two Shinigami, the ones who were speaking since I arrived, producing smoke. The entire upper body portion was gone.

Gone. Disintegrated.

"What the-gah!"

I gasped and moved out of the way, the remainder Shinigami spared in the first explosion, were blown to dust and like before, whatever matter constructed their body from the waist up disappeared.

"...That should have killed you too...you've made me loose a few of my new recruits.", I tensed as the shrill voice pierced through me.

I successfully attempted to turn around in order to face two figures on top of the stairs, "..."

"Bah...if the first batch of the little pieces of dirt weren't enough today..."

"Captain Kurotsuchi of Twelfth Company...and Lieutenant Kurotsuchi...", I called my greetings in the calmest voice I could muster out of myself.

"What do _you _want?", the Captain demanded.

I swallowed in a whimper and dragged the wooden doll in between the large space between Sixth and Twelfth Divisions. I imagined that the doll became a brick wall between me and the even more scarier looking dummy like Taicho.

_'Of course, not even a brick wall could stop this man...'_

"...How in the world did you get THAT?", he boomed, and I took one small step forward.

"I have connections."

He snickered, "Are you here to give me this present for free?"

I shook my head slowly, taking in one breath.

He scoffed and walked down the stairs, "Most fear of me and would have kneeled down to give me anything in return for their lives. Though I can't really say that about the Sixth Division.", an amused smile appeared on his face, "...Then why exactly are you showing me this...Sakamoto-chan?"

"...I will gladly give this to, on the condition that you become my reishi controller and maintainer for three days."

he shuffled through his long white haori, paused in mid stride down the second half of the staircase, "Oh?"

"This is a rare gizmo, even within the Gotei Thirteen. A man by the name of Urahara Kisuke, a former-"

"I know who he is!"

I winced, but continued on, "The previous Taicho of your own faction developed it in order to easily extract the spirit of a zanpakuto once said zanpakuto was stabbed into it."

"...Yes...the origins of it.", he tilted his head to the side, his hands stopped moving underneath the white fabric of his coat.

"Of course.", I used a common phrase Kuchiki Taicho would use when he could not think of anything else to say, "Its attributes allow it to be used once in the lifetime of a Shinigami, to achieve Bankai."

"...Hm..."

"As you could have foretold, I want to obtain Bankai as well. This doll should be used for no more than three days once a spirit sword has been placed in the centre of it."

"And you want...me..."

"Yes. I would like to acquire your assistance to keep my zanpakuto outside in the human world.", I confirmed.

He stood there silent for a few seconds between leaning over, I wondered if he would have tipped over and fell down the stairs.

"Why out of all the people in Seireitei would I help _you_?", he questioned.

"...If I recall, you said that you had intelligence of the existence of such an artifact. The fact that it is rare even within the grounds of the Gotei Thirteen would have made you want to get one.", the tip of Wakahiru was turned to be pointed at the back of the awkward doll, and attempt at making him nervous, "But you were never able to get one, no matter how hard you persisted."

"..."

"I know that for a fact."

"Hm...I can easily kill you at this moment and simply take it into my possession, you know that?", he grinned, "After all, with your Saketsu Chain damaged, you might not even be able to access the reiatsu you posses."

The Twelfth Taicho disappeared from the stairs.

I gasped at that, and as well as the fact that a long needle was shoved into my organs, causing my heartbeat to settle down.

In one hand, I actually felt relaxation because the pain was no longer felt in my wounds. On the other hand, my fear for Kurotsuchi Mayuri heightened at the fact that he was so close to me and chuckling at my recklessness.

"That serum that's running through your veins right now will heal every physical wound your carrying right now. Your Saketsu Chain is now as good as new, that I hope will be to your pleasing.", he sneered and roughly pulled the needle out of my body, "That melting feeling in your brain right now are the after affects of my rejuvenating serum. It will wear off in two hours."

My body shook and crashed to the floor, making sure that the Onmitsukido doll followed suit.

"...", I whimpered.

"Fine. I will help you. Though I assure you that this is not out of the goodness of my heart. I will expect that you better not die before this interesting experiment is over and you WILL indeed achieve Bankai within three days."

"...Thank you.", I whispered.

"This will start immediately. You understand?", the Captain of the Research Department stated, to which I quickly nodded, "Nemu!"

The raven haired girl, who was silent the entire time appeared before me and handed me a proper Shinigami uniform. I wasn't even able to thank her before her 'father' interrupted.

"After you've made yourself decent, you're going to be directed to the training grounds, where I will be there.", he glanced down at the wooden, "Bring it with you when you do come, so rest assured that I won't go rightfully stealing it.

That's the only show of kindness you'll get out of me. Don't expect anymore. I personally detest your Taicho.

So you should expect one heck of a brutal, blood chilling time with me. Guinea pig!", he laughed and made his way deeper into the main headquarters of the laboratory.

_Hisana, milady..._

I blinked as my trance was broken by the comforting sound of Wakahiru showing back in my mind.

_Are you sure that this is a good idea?_

"...I wouldn't have it any other way.", I said loudly and pulled off the white kimono, knowing that he wouldn't give me a proper room to change it.

In another room, Captain Kurotsuchi cackled to himself. Wakahiru stayed silent in my mind.

-TBC-

**I lost my Internet connect for some reason, so this was a little late. That last comment Hisana made was directed at both her zanpakuto and the creepy Captain of Twelfth Division. **

**I don't really know how I should feel about this chapter, but still, I hope you enjoyed it. Everyone will make an appearance in the next chapter! Thanks everyone!**

**Please Review!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto**


	22. Trade Me in for the Asauchi

**Sorry I wasn't able to get up a chapter. I typed them out, but I have no Internet connection, and the administration at school won't let me access my stories and update them, or let me post up my Kensei OC story. So I'm sorry guys!**

**But here is the twenty second Chapter. Please review! **

**-Tammy Sakamoto**

"Sakamoto-san, please proceed.", Nemu spoke and held up the doll to me.

I unsheathed Wakahiru and peered over at her artificial father, who was busy typing something on the large screen computer he owned using a giant keyboard that resembled piano keys.

"Well? Get started!", he snapped and emphasized by hitting each key more violently. The two of us flinched and nodded, not knowing whom he was accusing and stood in position.

"Screech and scratch the air...Wakahiru...", I whispered, pulling the length of my pointer and middle fingers down to the tip of my sealed zanpakuto. The sword grew by half of its length, transforming the polished metal blade into a white zanpakuto, Wakahiru evolving into his Shikai state.

"Ready? Wakahiru?", I whispered and ran at Nemu, my arm completely extended to hit the wooden doll.

I blinked when the object began pulling on the grasp I had on the green hilt and I was forced to release my hold. A bright light overtook the Onmitsukido doll, and the two of us females in between it ran backward until the two of us were ten feet away.

"Nemu! Don't just stand there! Maintain the outside world reishi for the sword!", the Chief of Research and Development shouted, Nemu obeying without objection.

The orb of a rich jade green colour faded away with Nemu's better hold on the reiatsu. In its wake, one pair lotus flowers appeared in the ground, both of them late but almost instantly bloomed afterward once we saw it.

Standing before me after all of the light disappeared was a tall man no more older looking than twenty five, dressed in all white. He was clad in...traditional...acrobatic...swords-master...clothing seen in old Ancient Chinese fighting dramas I watched as a child, his semi baggy pants neatly tucked into tall black boots. On top of his elegant robes was a sleeved white haori flowing down to his ankles. Further examining him, his hair was the exact same hair colour like mine, though it was waved and easily reached his lower back even when tied up in a high pony. Green eyes, handsome face.

"W-Wakahiru?", I whispered, wondering if this man was merely a zanpakuto spirit.

He nodded slowly, "...And the problem is not whether I am ready, but are _you _ready, Hisana-sama."

I looked at the Captain in the background, staring back at me and expectantly waiting for something more to record.

"At this stage...Hisana-chan,", he grinned and tilted his head mockingly, "The training is set out. I will allow your sword to chose the type of challenge."

"Yes, you are correct, Taicho of Twelfth Division.", he confirmed, his eyes never leaving mine, "You don't have time to waste, milady."

I jumped when he spread out his legs and bent over, arms to the side and holding onto a sword I never knew he was holding. A number of other zanpakuto showed up around the training field varying in size and shape and colour.

"Within this forest of swords is the true Bankai form of me, and the rest are impersonations."

"In other words...", I asked, "only one of them is you?"

"You are correct.", he nodded, "Only that blade can hold a fight against me. You will independently find which one it is, and once you have, you try to make me submit. In only that way you can achieve Bankai."

"...Alright.", I nodded.

There was no sound ushered other than the speedy typing of the Nemu's father. I looked around nervously, hand clasped together in front of me.

"...Well?", Wakahiru questioned, "Why won't you proceed?'

I blinked, "I-I.-"

"Very well. I shall start this battle."

I held back a scream when Wakahiru flash stepped in front of me and threw a cut, the unique sound of wind moving through air rang all around us with the previous and following swings of his katana.

I as well used shunpo to move away from him, instinctively touching my bleeding arm and shoulder.

"...", I frowned.

"I should also remind you...that I will never hold back when training you simply because you are short for time."

"..."

_'His cuts are clean...and deep. And I could already fell the pain even before he hit me...'_

I wanted to scream for mercy. But I said nothing whilst pulling out the nearest blade, saving the energy for better purposes.

Like running, I planned as that blade in my hand shattered with the noisy wind.

"!", I ran at the other swords.

_'H-how? He didn't even come near me! All he did was swing, from metres away!'_

"No time to panic and complain, milady.", Wakahiru stated and charged, "Find me before I turn you into a bloody mess."

"...!", I flinched as the fifth sword I picked up split in two, my collarbone taking a thin scratch along it's blade, but thick enough to draw blood.

…

…

…

"You're very slow. Did you know that?"

"...Hmph!"

…

…

…

"I could have traveled a distance of one hundred feet during the time it takes you to just pull out the zanpakuto from the ground."

"..."

"What number is this one?"

"..."

…

…

…

"What number is this one?"

…

…

…

"Ah...this last longer than the others."

"..."

"But it's not me."

"!"

…

…

…

"What number is this one?"

"..."

"Why won't you answer? It's been so long since anyone has spoken to me. I'd like to hear your opinions on the training."

"...Fine.", I gasped.

"...I'm glad. But really, what number was that last sword?"

"...It's..."

"I'll tell you. The next sword you pick up will be the sixtieth."

"...", I glared at him.

"At this rate, I will have finished you off before you've had the chance to save your peers Lady Hisana."

"...Gah...", I whimpered and fell face first into the ground.

"Look at you.", Wakahiru whispered, walking over to me. I paid attention to his feet, unconsciously dragging myself away from him as he proceeded to advance closer to me, "You're cut up everywhere."

I screamed as the sound of air whizzed past my ear cutting one gaping wound on my right shoulder. I stood up and flash stepped away, turning my gaze away from the white clad man. There was something that I wanted to know and wanted to have...need.

"Captain Kurotsuchi,", I rasped out and wiped the sweat off of my brow, "Shouldn't the training for today have ended one hour ago?"

The Chief Research Officer paused in mid type, slowly turning his wicked face to peered at me, "Huh?"

"...The training...it would've ended already-"

"I'm not going to let than happen Hisana-chan.", he grinned. I shot a look at Nemu, who gave me an indifferent look as she refocused on keeping the zanpakuto spirit of mine extracted and maintained in the outside world.

"...Kya!"

"You shouldn't let your guard down."

"...Wakahiru...", I winced when he pulled his bloodied sword out of my stomach, "I have to rest."

"Rest? Fine.", he sighed, "But then take this zanpakuto out to battle from now on instead of me. For I will never look at you as my master ever again."

The zanpakuto he threw at me was plain and ordinary. I blinked and looked up at his retreating form, "Wait, you're giving me an asauchi, a nameless zanpakuto to go against the Gotei 13?"

"Why shouldn't I?", he turned his head back to glared at me heatedly, "It's nameless because the Shinigami isn't fit to wield a true zanpakuto. It belongs with you."

I winced at his words, standing up and shouting back at him, "How can you say that? I'm-"

"You're nothing. You're blind. You're weak. You're a girl that only knows how to wail and complain. You're reckless, stupid and unmotivated.", he snapped.

"I have total motivation to protect my-"

"Please. Cut it with the empty words. You're making me sick."

"...What...?", I whispered.

"Kuchiki Byakuya is right. You ARE a waste of skin. You don't deserve the seat you're ranked as. You only made it up to there because of your knowledge. But brains do not count for everything, and cannot make up for combat flaws in a battle to the death."

"...?", I blinked and looked around. He was right...

"Kurosaki Ichigo at this moment is giving everything to become stronger to save Rukia. Ishida Uryuu was willing to give up all his Quincy powers to fight that man you asked for help in. Even Inoue Orihime who is completely incompatible in fights risked her life when coming to the Soul Society."

"...I know that already."

"Then why are you, who's gone to the least amount of trouble so willing to give up so easily?"

"I'm not saying that I'm giving up! I just need a break!"

"You think that because I, your zanpakuto spirit, am posing as your opponent, you do not need to give it your best? You're wrong. I've said it before at the start of your training: I won't hold back. At this time I am your sworn enemy, its kill or be killed...and you want a break."

"..."

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say now?"

I nodded.

"So, do you want to achieve Bankai anymore? Considering that you may die by my hands?"

"...Yes."

"I don't believe you. You're not the strong willed mistress I used to be proud of. You're just a joke."

"...I'm going to achieve Bankai."

"No you won't.", he sighed and began to unsheathe his sword, "You'll end up giving up again when you see that the going gets tough."

"Don't say that about me...", I frowned and looked away.

"Why shouldn't I? Why must I shower you with empty compliments and shield you from the truth?"

"...You be quiet!"

"If you're going to hear it from anyone, why not hear it from me?"

"Gah!", I screamed and flash stepped over to one of the last remaining zanpakuto, pulling it off of the ground and running at him.

Being who he was, Wakahiru blocked my attack without even turning around or flexing his back. I kept on pressing onto his jade green blade, hoping that somehow I could break that thing in half to relief all the frustration I carried don my shoulder.

"Wakahiru, I'm going to achieve Bankai!", I shouted and lifted my leg to kick the back of his right shin. The tall man lifted one boot off the floor to counterattack and then lifted his foot, locked under mine up into the air. I winced at the sudden stretch of my limbs, perpendicular to the flat floor with holes scattering everywhere. If it wasn't for his feet keeping y own up, I would have fallen over into one of the deep dents.

"...Good confidence...", he chuckled and glanced back at me, "With good confidence comes good luck and fortune."

"...", I blinked a few times and tilted my head, "What? That doesn't make any sense."

"I am attempting to say that you have passed."

I gasped, "You don't mean..."

He nodded and slowly bent his leg downward, relaxing my own, "Yes. You have the ultimate form that I can take."

My lips slowly formed into a large smile as I looked up at him and then at the zanpakuto in my hands, "I can't believe that at the peak of my anger...I could have...oh my goodness!"

I squealed and moved my hand over the blade, my eyes glazed over. The blade looked like an elongated tanto. From the tip of the blade to boundary of the hilt and metal was two times the length of Wakahiru in its sealed form, at least standing up to my shoulders. The hilt was made out of a white stone, the exact same colour as his clothing, milky white and as long as two hand lengths.

"Hey...what's this?", I looked more carefully at the strong stone constructed hilt. The kanji for 'Wakahiru' was engraved on it in the deepest green jade I've ever seen before, maybe the best that existed anywhere. As I trailed my eyes across the long zanpakuto again, I noticed yet another feature of the sword: two hollowed out circles located by the end of the polished fighting blade.

"There's nothing in those two small holes. Are they designed to be that way?", I snapped my head curiously up at the taller man, taking in just how much taller he was than me.

"The training is not yet complete.", he simply stated and turned his body to face me entirely, "Once it is, you're question on my design will be answered."

"Right!", I took in a sharp intake of breath and jumped back, getting into a fighting stance, "I'm ready whenever you are, Wakahiru."

"You won't be fighting me.", he shook his long dark hair around, walking over to me slowly.

"H-hey...why are there lotus flowers blooming wherever your feet lands?", I stuttered and backed away from the unpredictable zanpakuto spirit. Better on guard than caught off guard.

He halted and twirled his own blade around, an identical copy of Wakahiru in his Shikai form, "Bankai requires that the sword wielder force his zanpakuto into submission. It's the only way to obtain the second release of your blade. Sit down."

I raised one eyebrow and cautiously folded my legs underneath me against a large boulder, "You still haven't answered my question about the flowers."

He blinked, "Someone of such Royal blood must never have their feet touch ordinary ground. The lotuses create that protection. However,"

I straitened my back and listened intently on what he had to say, "Yes?"

"That's not necessarily your greatest concern at this time. Bankai is and the issue with submission. Which will lead us to the next and final stage."

He pointed his sword down to my lap. I frowned and looked downward as well, and my eyes widened at the disappearance the new Wakahiru in the place of something that I was all too familiar with.

"...A koto?", I whispered, staring confusedly at the rectangular instrument in my hold, "Where did-"

"Here.", he abruptly answered and showed me that the zanpakuto I had just examined a few minutes before was now being freely thrown around in his hand, "As I was saying, Bankai is mastered when zanpakuto spirits become at full mercy of their owners. This is usually tested through military combat between the two. But in my taste, I have a much different method for you."

"I'm listening.", I dragged out, unsure of what would occur for the rest of the days spent in the Twelfth Division.

He closed his eyes and shot them open again, jade green clashing against dark brown orbs. I didn't even see it myself, but in the next blink of an eye, Wakahiru pulled himself into a horse stance and pointed the tip of the blade to the centre of my forehead.

"The rules are simple. Control my every movement with that koto in your hands and you will have achieved Bankai."

My mouth dropped, "You're serious. That can't be done! How in the world am I supposed to make you move to my own will by pulling on some horse hair?"

To emphasis my apathy and doubt, I plucked my index and middle fingers over four of the strings, causing them to vibrate and create a tribal tune. I cried out when he, Wakahiru CHARGED at me, sword ready to blow a gaping hole through my skull.

"What?", I gasped and doubled over, clutching onto the wooden instrument as the impact of Wakahiru's blow destroyed the boulder I previously rested on.

"Did I forget to mention? Play the incorrect strings and ultimately fail to make me move will cost you devastating loss."

"...", I stared at him unbelievably.

"Shouldn't you begin playing Hisana-sama? I believe that you don't quite have the time to glare at me the entire day. In fact, you only have one day and one night left before the execution."

"I have two more days left!", I corrected him and hesitantly pulled on a high note. The black haired man responded by swinging his long blade at the side of me, to which I thankfully jumped away from.

"Actually...", the shrill voice of the Twelfth Division Kurotsuchi Taicho piped up, "While you were training, a hell butterfly came and just now told us that Kuchiki Rukia will be executed withing twenty-eight hours from now."

"...See?", Wakahiru sighed and swung the sword around as if it was as natural as breathing, "You really don't have time, now that Central 46 have made the final decision."

"...This isn't good.", I whispered and pulled at all the strings on the board one one fluid pull of my forearm, and the taller man attacked me again, "This isn't good."

"You and your friends will need all the help you can get. Let us pray that they are doing better than you. Kuchiki Rukia will need much more than your aid in escaping looking at you."

I smiled bitterly, "No kidding"

-TBC-


	23. The Consequence for Failure is You

**Man...everywhere I go the Internet just won't cooperate with me. My house Internet Data Stick doesn't work, the school administration won't let me access My Stories, and my friend's house lost Internet connection just when I was about to update the next chapter. I'm so sad, and I'm very sorry to everyone! **

**Here is the new chapter anyway. And sorry the last one was crappy. It was my first attempt at action writing...**

**Please review!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto**

I sat there on the hard dirt ground in within the walls of that so called training ground in the Twelfth Division. The koto rested across my numb lap, whining the final cord I struck, a medium pitched note that vibrated through the entire room.

From my eyes that observed the dark lacquered instrument, I trailed my eyes over to Nemu, Kurotsuchi Taicho and then finally to Wakahiru, his eyes focused on mine when we met. My gaze rested on the sword form of my zanpakuto spirit, its long blade smeared in a red liquid substance, to which I identified it as blood. My blood. The zanpakuto that was supposedly like the other part of me was covered in its own blood, wounded by itself.

The nest thing I did was stare at my own physical form kneeling on the ground armed with nothing else but an ancient instrument used for entertainment while my opponent wielded a lethal weapon. I had hope of defeating this enemy before me, if I was able to control the enemy's movement with the koto.

The execution was today. With the long time I spent in this place so long in range, I had eventually lost count of the hours coming down to Kuchiki Rukia's moment of ending. But even with the insensibility of time I had then, I could still recall that the final seconds were coming up at anytime. And there I was, sitting formally looking at the badly damaged shihakusho I was clothed in.

Now looking back at those unforgettable two days in that cold experimentation room, I had probably in all honestly truly failed to master Bankai. Until the moment that I really DID achieve it, I could never leave the Twelfth Divisions.

I had actually recommended that we start all over again, from scratch, to see if I could things the right way. I figured that Ichigo and Renji would be able to fend off the others for just a while longer than I had planned, until the moment came for me to join them to assisting Rukia as the rest of us escape. We would have all agreed to this idea if it wasn't for one particular thing that happened seconds before the real submission training began with the new flick of my koto.

It was a reishi interference, more specifically an urgent new from the Fourth Division.

I truly did not believe that I obtained Bankai, and if I had walked out of that room on that day, there was no chance that this method of forcing out your spirit could ever be used on me again. Kurotsuchi Mayuri would not have any of that. If I had thought about taking half a step out of the lab, he would have killed me.

But somehow, out of desperation and adrenaline, I managed to tackle down the artificial Shinigami female and her creator father, busting my way out of the Twelfth Company barracks. It was the first and last time that I ever stepped foot into that land of property ever again for the rest of my career.

I quickly materialized Wakahiru in my hand and sheathed the now sealed zanpakuto in its green hilt, flash stepping the entire time toward Sokyoku Hill.

…

…

…

"!"

My feet stopped moving when I saw an all too familiar fabric on the tiled floors. Blood surrounded it.

I hurriedly picked up my Taicho's scarf heirloom and examined it, noticing a splatter of blood violently thrown on the illuminant linen.

He wouldn't have happened to be...

I disallowed the hypothesis and continued running up the thousand flights of stairs, passing the forest of white trees while holding onto the long soft scarf as if I found comfort in it.

Kuchiki Taicho wouldn't fall, he was practically invincible. It didn't matter who his foe was.

...But why was there fresh blood everywhere when I found it?

I swallowed and hoped for the best.

…

…

…

My eyes widened when I saw old faces from two days ago and as well as ones from seven years before.

Their expression mirrored mine, each of their reactions different in reason, but it wouldn't have been uncommon for them to be taken back in the uncouth condition I was in. The clothing covering my back was gone, leaving my shoulder blades and roughly rough bandages to adorned my back side. From the elbow up on my left arm, were white bandages holding onto the sleeve remains from the elbow down. The pants were rather in healthy condition, thought the skin on my right arm was completely exposed to the outside air, the Kuchiki Captain's scarf tied loosely on the fleshiest portion of it.

Orihime told me as I passed that Ichigo was fighting a man named Aizen. Relaying the telepathic message sent to all of us word for word, I exhausted my shunpo as I jumped clumsily up the steep rough walls of the holy grounds of the hill.

…

…

…

Renji was on the ground, nearly half dead when I reached them all, friend and foe. I wasn't sure if he was aware of my presence, if he was even concious. The tall and wide tori gates were split into two separate stands. I couldn't believe the condition Sokyoku Hill was in. The weapon that gave the mountain its name, the Sokyoku with the frightening strength of one million zanpakuto was destroyed and nowhere to be found. A few feet away from where my feet landed were the three defected Captains of Third, Fifth and Ninth Company.

I heard my name being called out, by a male voice, "H-Hisana...?"

My lips parted as I tried to blink away the sight of Ichigo laying on the ground with nothing else but his spine holding the halves of his body together. I felt like there was something eating me from the inside out, starting with the frail heart I had. Not even that stab from the asauchi to my heart could compare to how nervous and overwhelmed I felt.

"I-Ichi...", I whimpered, and turned to look at the ring leader of this conspiracy, "Aizen..."

"Hisana...get away...", the orange haired boy rasped out and tried getting up.

"How many times did I tell you, boy? It's physically impossible for you to stand, much less sit up with the two halves of your body holding you together.", the older man frowned and turned to wipe his zanpakuto free of blood, "Try as you might, you I can assure you that you won't be able to move anywhere from the ground you lay upon."

"...You did that?", I whispered, my hands clenched and unclenched as I tried to process everything going on.

"Hisana-san!"

I jumped after hearing the voice of Rukia furthest away from me. I couldn't see her though...

"Rukia...", Ichigo muttered and tried tugging at his thin black sword. It was different than the one from last time we met at the Senzaikyu. It only meant that he had achieved Bankai.

"Ichigo, where's Rukia?", I asked.

"Oh?", the brown haired Shinigami began, "She's right here."

With that, he stepped to my left, allowing me an all too perfect view of Rukia on her knees totally scared out of her mind.

My Taicho rested against her. For the first time in my life, I saw him kneel in utter defeat.

I've seen him in many conditions in the past ten months acquainting him as his Third Seat. I've seen him covered in Hollow's acid, seen him in modern clothing. I've seen him want to kill me and seen him when he wasn't decent and seen him not breathing. I've as well seen him in formal clothing as the leader of a noble house and seen him topless smeared in brown medicinal paste.

My breath became shallow as I fumbled past Aizen, getting closer the two Kuchiki siblings one step at a time, but too slowly. I wanted to reach his side faster.

"...Taicho!", I cried and skidded on my knees, dropping beside Rukia and holding onto his shihakusho sleeve. No response came out of him other than the strained breaths he took in.

"Nii-sama! Nii-sama!", the black haired girl repeated over and over again. She was trying as desperately as I was to make him say something that made us feel that he was fine and still the strong Rokutaicho of the Gotei 13. Our only response was the loosening grip he had on Rukia's forearms, and that wasn't the best signal we wanted out of him.

"Kuchiki Taicho...", I squeaked out and pulled out the scarf on my right arm, "It's your scarf...I brought it here..."

He didn't budge.

One tear drop escaped my eye.

_'No...it's happening again..._

_Byakuya's dying.'_

I wrapped the scarf around his slumped shoulders. While doing that, I realized that there was a katana puncture in his chest, on the exact same spot I had received my own chest injury a few days back.

Rukia spoke, "He was stabbed in the heart, because he took his blow. Nii-sama, why did you do that for me? You should just have-"

"I don't know what to do...", I cut her off and shook my head, "I don't know how to heal him...he's going to..."

"Hisana-san...I'm so sorry for everything..."

"Your brother's bleeding won't stop. It won't stop!", I panicked and held onto his hand, similar in fashion as to how he held mine back at the fourth holy grounds building.

The black haired girl's cries grew more guilty at my words of provocation, "Nii-sama! Nii-sama!"

"The blood...", I mouthed and looked at his blood soaked Captain's haori. I eyed the stained yukata Rukia was wearing. I looked at my hands. I turned back around to look at a large fox who I could only guess was Komamura Taicho, laying motionless on the ground, struck by a destruction spell on the nineties level that was able to draw blood out of his thick fur. Renji was drowning in his own puddle of blood. Ichigo...his body was supposed to be in two separated pieces now. He was covered in blood.

Blood...why was there so much blood.

"Blood...", I whispered, letting one hand fall free to my side.

"Nii-sama!", Rukia kept calling out to him.

"Why is there so much blood?", I snapped my gaze back at the Fifth Division Taicho standing six feet away from me. He stared at me quizzically.

"Why wouldn't there be blood? I tried to kill all of them.", he retorted.

"So...you decided to attack _them_?"

He smirked, "I find it amusing when little weaklings like you try to act tough when they know they have no chance of victory."

"Sosuke Aizen, you have gone too far with this defection.", I growled.

"...If you find that this is a large sum of blood we've drawn out here,", his smirk turned into a sinister smile, "Then I can't wait to see how you would look when I have the rest of the blood I intend to spill presented to you."

"...", I didn't say anything, too overwhelmed and pained by the sight of so much blood from everyone.

I let the other hand I used to hold onto my Taicho's palm release, letting his wrist rest on his lap comfortably. As comfortable as he can be in the condition he was in.

"You know, out of every subject I've ever observed, you have got to be the most difficult to get rid of.", he leaned forward, keeping that grin on his face, "Did you know that I was the one who sent that Hollow to the mountains seven years ago to kill you?"

I was taken back, "That wasn't a Hollow-"

"The humans may have assumed that it was a driving vehicle, understandably. But it was a Hollow that really murdered you. Now tell me, aren't you so furious that you now know who really wanted you dead? I know what you're thinking: and here I, Sakamoto had such a bright future ahead of me as a human girl."

I glared at him and place my hand upon the green hilt of Wakahiru.

"The Grand Fisher from a few months back was as well sent by me, the barrier was weakened by Gin."

In turn, I glared at the grinning fox from behind him.

"..."

"I was as well the one who tried to get rid of you a few nights back at the holy grounds. But no matter how many times I try, you always manage to survive..."

"..."

"I must say that I'm impressed."

"...Are you finished?", I raised an eyebrow and tightened my hold on Wakahiru.

He sighed, shaking his head, "Why must you always interfere with my plans? Allow me to deal with your friends and I will let you live for just a moment longer."

I glared at the brown haired Taicho, already knowing that I would never let that to happen. He was toying with me.

"I won't."

He smiled that smile of his again, "Don't try to stand strong, Sakamoto Hisana. You won't stand a chance. I know where you've been this entire time. You were using a technique developed by Urahara Kisuke to obtain your Bankai."

I let out a small huff and glanced back at Ichigo, who was violently thrashing his head from side to side, "N-no!"

"Listen to your lover Sakamoto Hisana. But I AM surprised that you actually asked help from Kurotsuchi out of everyone you could come to. It shows how desperate you were to become stronger."

My frown deepened, "I was just that determined to get rid of the likes of you."

He scoffed and tilted his head, the grin never fading from his face, "Please don't try that pitiful act. The fact that I know you've been training for the last two days means that I also know that you were never able to achieve Bankai. So give it up, Sakamoto Hisana."

He had no intention of letting me back off, I knew it when he raised one index finger toward Rukia and my Taicho, charging up a doom blast. Eyes widened. My reactions were not fast enough in order to halt the beam from being released from his hand.

I turned back to face the two of them just in time to see that Rukia, holding onto her older brother was able to crouch down and dodge the cero. A cero was a technique used by hollows of arrancar ranks. It startled all of us that knew anything about Menos Grande that he could do anything like that.

My head snapped back to look at him. Kuchiki Taicho was bleeding even more now. Wakahiru was drawn from his sheath, the green protector pulled out of my uniform sash and thrown over to Rukia.

"Aizen!", I shouted, point the tip straight at his chest.

He slowly turned his eyes toward me, "Put that sword down before I break it."

Thinking back to that night when the zanpakuto struck through my heart and looking at the hole in Kuchiki Taicho's chest made my blood boil.

I shook my head once, "I'm going to kill you. You'll pay for ever hurting my friends."

Aizen smirked, "You shouldn't make such rash threats. It makes you look weak."

I said nothing but keep the sealed state of Wakahiru pointed out in front of me.

"Take my advice Sakamoto Hisana. Hitsugaya Taicho never listened to my words, and now he is dead."

My eyes widened, "Hitsugaya Taicho? You killed him? He was so close to you!"

He smile disappeared for once that day, "He was nothing but a pawn for me to play with. So are you. Though I have no use for any of you now that I have what I need."

My stance hardened, my hands ceasing to shake, "If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you killed Hinamori as well."

Sinister but ever slow, the devious smile returned back onto his face.

My eyes that I hadn't realized was always watering stopped, blinking once. Then twice.

"Screech and scratch the air, Wakahiru.", I called out.

Green light surrounded my hands as Aizen spoke, "I'll say it once more. You don't have Bankai. You and Rukia are the weakest out of everyone here, and you won't stand a chance against me."

When my zanpakuto evolved, I pulled the long blade back and raised it up in one swift motion. My arms shot straight up to the air, lifting Wakahiru seven feet up from the ground.

The sudden movement erupted a shrill cry in the air. The brown haired man looked at me, his eyes narrowing slightly, wondering if it was really my blade that made the sound.

"I'm going to use your blood as a ceremonial offering for everyone that's died by your hands."

…

…

…

"I'm going to use your blood as ceremonial offering for everyone that's died by your hands."

Aizen looked at the girl standing defiantly before him as she slowly spun her unsheathed zanpakuto in the air, causing the reishi particles present to condense and swirl all around her white blade.

His eyes narrowed down further, the face of his face turning to glance at his two subordinates, examining their facial expressions. He saw both of them respond to his silent question by shaking their heads. Aizen took in a deep breath and turned back to observe the girl he tried to get rid of on multiple occasion.

_'There shouldn't be anyway that she could have achieved Bankai. I'm positive.'_, he reassured himself.

They all kept on looking at her as the spinning became more violent. He allowed his smile to reappear on his face.

"Keep on stalling all you want Sakamoto Hisana. You can't fool anyone of us-"

He wasn't cut off by anyone. Aizen chose not to complete his statement, in order to observe what else this amateur girl could do when she stopped moving. He would have assumed that the blade she wielded would freeze as well. Instead, the air particles all around the long blade continued to increase in speed.

All she did was look at him, staring with all the anger she could muster into her look. He looked back into her eyes, trying to dive past the hatred directed toward him to see what she had planned up her sleeve.

Aizen lifted one hand to rest it on the hilt of his own sword, rubbing his palm back and forth on the exposed copper metal. One thing he was sure of now, was that she wasn't stalling for anything. He was sure that she wanted to take him on and bring him down himself. He scoffed. It was like wanting to touch the moon by touching its reflection.

His smile stayed on his face, though inside, he wanted to frown. The amount of reiatsu emanating from her kept on increasing, slightly heightening his senses.

_'This is odd...she shouldn't have developed her powers enough to be able to do something like this...unless...'_

He may have been wrong the first time, but Aizen was sure that what happened nest surprised all of them.

…

…

…

I was telling the truth. I had probably in all honestly truly failed to master Bankai. I had felt that Wakahiru was holding back all the time, though he always persisted that he was going all out.

Well, if he was even at one moment leashing out everything he had to attack me, then I would not be standing here today. The fact that I could see daylight today proved to Nemu, Kurotsuchi Taicho and me that he was lying.

At the fastest speed the air particles go travel in, it suddenly stopped. At the moment of silence, I used that time to speak.

"Bankai!"

The reishi around my zanpakuto enlarged and took me into the green void.

A loud explosion took place.

I would be damned if Sosuke Aizen wasn't surprised to see this.

-TBC-


	24. dechoutUnfinished

**Too dramatic right? **

**...Let's just start the chapter...**

**Please review though!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto**

"Bankai!"

A storm of green light enveloped the form of the thin girl, the force so strong that her hair was set free from the tall pony she kept it in that day. Her jet black locks fell past her mid back momentarily before the wind and dust thrashed it around. Soon, the entire wave of light completely surrounded her, making it impossible for anyone not within the green light's interior to see what was happening.

Her friends, all either kneeling upon the dirt or lying in the blood soaked soil did nothing but watch the phenomenon unraveling before them. They stayed still and motionless as the sounds of the wind circled around Hisana, the violence of the echos suggesting that the wind was screaming, clawing at the air particles. Said air particles were thrust into the ever growing jade green orb until...

...It broke. From the top of the now ten feet thick reishi condensed sphere, the crack ran across the ball as if it were made out of something solid. When the running cracks reached the base of the green orb, air rushed out of the newly acquired seams.

Ichigo jumped when the green sphere enclosing Hisana's form burst open by the cracks it made for itself. The sight looked to him as if it was a jade lotus blooming at an exponential rate with smoke evaporating out of its core, slowly thinning out.

Rukia blinked once. Twice. She glanced over to Ichigo a few feet away from her, noting that he too had no explanation for what was going on

. She missed the climax of the battle between Ichigo and her Nii-sama. According to Aizen, Hisana was never able to get Bankai within the time given to her, and she probably never will. So what was going on then.

So the black haired girl sat there, trying to protect her brother, who had jumped in to take her death blow unconditionally, waiting for a clear answer to finally appear. Her answer will come when the smoke enclosing Hisana completely disappeared.

Her eyes doubled in size, resembling large saucers at the unbelievable sight in front of her.

_'Hisana-san...?'_

Ichigo gasped in pain, but held his breath as his Hisana stood in the centre of the depicted green lotus, pride and tall.

_'So...she _did _achieve Bankai then...'_, he confirmed, _'I can't believe it...'_

He didn't know whether to be glad or worried for her.

Her torn and cubic clothing was regenerated into its original full form, with proper sleeves and fabric covering her lean back. The only difference between an ordinary Shinigami uniform and her attire was clearly seen from the waist down. The white sash that they all were wearing thickened in three times the proper width, and knotted at the back instead of the front. The excess that wasn't wrapped around her waist blew freely in the wind, much like how Byakuya's scarf acted when met in the same conditions.

The black hakama pants were the same as all other Soul Reaper's, though a green linen fabric was wrapped all around them. Ichigo wasn't a descriptive and poetic person, so he could only say that the silk that hung up from her white sash looked like the bottoms of a trench coat. Or maybe a skirt reaching around mid calf, cut up to her hips at the middle thighs and back, creating five sections that blew however she wished it to.

Rukia, on the other hand preferred to examine the zanpakuto Hisana held. It wasn't huge, but it was long, like an over lengthy version of a small tanto blade in the sunlight. With no guard, defining the reason why she called it an elongated tanto, the hilt was made out of an element of chalk white colour. She couldn't read was was engraved on the hilt but while paying closer attention, Rukia saw two hollowed out circles on the blade, something in Kanji engraved into it...

…

…

…

"Getsuei-ken, Wakahiru"

(Moon Blade Wakahiru)

Aizen's stoic face appeared on his dark features. I pulled my gaze away from him to look at one of his two followers. Gin's wide grin grew in a way that sickened me and caused he to hate him even more. I wanted to get a piece him, but in war, you go for the head of the army to ultimately.

When I shot a glare back at the brown haired man, his returning smile was as cunning as ever.

The tears... I had long dried from my eyes. I thought of Ichigo, Renji, Rukia, Hitsugaya, and the countless other people that were manipulated by the defected Taicho. And when the image of a certain Kuchiki head dying, when I though he was unbeatable, developed in my mind...

Lifting my right leg up high, vanished, the wind blew toward a direction headed for the brown haired Taicho.

There was no time to dodge, unfortunately for him and fortunately for me, but I didn't manage to hit skin when his zanpakuto came out to block. Metal screeched against metal releasing a threshold of pain that rang through our ears. Holding Wakahiru in my dominant arm, I used my left to fist him in the throat, though his own free hand to grab my punch.

I glared at him as he began overpowering me with brute force, the smile coming back on his face causing me to clench my teeth together.

"Don't be so COCKY!", I shouted, using the control I had over both of our hands to them out of the way, just enough so that he wouldn't be able to do anything about the next move.

I kicked, my right leg extending straight up between our bodies. My unexpected kick connecting my heel into his jaw, creating a satisfying crunch. He stumbled backward, though his grip on my left fist wasn't released. By twisting my wrist , I was able guide both blades in our hands down onto his forearm, evidently making him let go.

The moment he let go of the fist, I relaxed my fingers, only to shoot them straight out to Aizen's shoulder turned back, a stream of green wind following my movements and send him flying away. After skidding on the ground, he flexed his body and performed a back flip to stand back upright.

Gaining momentum, I pulled my long tanto sword over my head, "(Jade Palm Strike)!", bringing Wakahiru swinging straight down. The affect was a thick wall of green reishi straight toward the recovering Fifth Taicho.

A few seconds later, the running wall I created broke down into three smaller ones, all of them running at each of the three. To my astonishment, all three of them used their shunpo to get out of my attack's route.

"Shoot!", I hissed to myself, plunging my zanpakuto into the ground in front of me, "Hiruga Peak!"

…

…

…

Ichigo never took his eyes off of the battle, or more specifically, he never stopped staring at was was going on around Hisana. Her movements were fast, though for as long as he knew her, he always knew that she had an unnatural talent for speed. The jet black haired girl had once told him that things had always been that way since pre-school.

It was a good thing she had that attribute with her, because he knew that she would have been killed long before the battle had started if it wasn't for her agility. He's seen, and felt know strong this Aizen person was. If he could land just one touch of his zanpakuto on her, then...he wasn't sure how he would take it. Not again, not a another time.

He shook his head violently, shaking off that negative thought and picture of Hisana...his Hisana on a cold metal trolley, a thin white blanket being pulled over her head. This time, he could see her face properly, there was not enough wounds to hide her scared and lonely face.

_'no..No! NO!'_, the orange haired boy shook and attempted to get back up somehow, miserably failing. His own battle wounds he harbored back from his fight with Byakuya already placed two bulldozers on his shoulders. And the cut he took from the leader of this conspiracy really put the cherry on top; he couldn't move anything from his waist down, not to mention that the pain was unbearable.

_'All I can do now is believe in her...Hisana, Hisana, you can't lose. You just can't...but...'_

He's never seen her like this. Sakamoto Hisana was always a thin porcelain doll that had to rely on the help of a man to protect her, and Ichigo had been much too willing to take that job. It was always like that for him, he couldn't see it any other way with their relationship. But now the roles have been switched. And _she, _the breakable girlfriend of Ichigo Kurosaki was protecting _him_?

To meet her again was like a dream come true for him, but it literally knocked him backward. But now to see how much she's changed in just seven years of separation, to see the skills she's taken on was just too weird.

His thoughts confused him, and he couldn't think properly right now with the corner's of his eyesight beginning to get blurry and dark.

"Hisana...", Ichigo whispered, clenching the loose dirt in his sweaty palms, "I'm so confused..."

He was confused alright, but he was sure of one thing. And it was the fact that because he had no clue of just how far her limits reached, and how close it was, it scared the living daylights out of him.

"Hisana!", he shouted as the one of the Taicho accompanying Aizen cut at the side of her waist, oozing out warm blood. At the sound of her pained scream, he instinctively pulled Tensa Zangetsu back into his right hand. Though his attempts were in vain, Ichigo managed to lift the upper half of his body into the air.

_'Hold on! I'm coming...I'm going to-'_

His thoughts were cut short when the silver haired and black haired men retreated back to the original locations before Hisana showed up. Observing the black haired teenager again, Ichigo saw that Hisana had regained her composure and was fighting as confidently and as seriously as in the beginning.

If only he could say the same thing for him self. Ichigo tensed when her spiritual pressure began soaring to the roof all over again, pulling like a second gravity with twice as much intensity on his back and legs. It pressed down on him roughly and he realized that for as long as she kept her instincts sharp, he wouldn't be budging anytime soon.

"Jade Palm Strike!", the only standing female cried out, throwing the now all too familiar attack toward Aizen. He could now simply use a hand to completely maneuver the dense wall off track.

He knew that there was something wrong when the mostly silent duo retreated, allowing their ring leader in all of this mess handle everything. They knew that something would come up, that Aizen had something up his sleeve. Something so good that their help was no longer needed in the battle.

He was right.

"!"

He blinked again, double checking if what he was seeing was really the truth.

Aizen was in the mist of using his hands to block her zanpakuto strikes, a relatively easy task for him, considering that Ichigo's own black sword was so easily stopped by a single _finger. _As for his sword, Suigetsu whatever, he couldn't see it lying abandoned anywhere on top of the hill.

The brown haired man ran forward. It wasn't shunpo, but it was somewhere near that speed. The brown haired man remained in front of the shorter female in defence mode.

He accelerated in the direction of Rukia, who continued to analyze the battle until she noticed that the brown haired man was running at her.

Aizen jumped back from the girl.

He was lunging forward.

He was jumping back, Hisana, following closely behind.

He brought his right arm out to point it at Byakuya's head.

His right arm drew back into a fist.

_'Wait! What?'_

There was two of the Fifth Division Taicho, right before his eyes. In Hisana's point of view, there was only one Aizen, the Aizen blocking her zanpakuto with his bare arms. The running one was out of her view, her back turned against him.

He was right, Aizen was planning something.

"Hisana! Behind you!", Ichigo shouted at the top of his lungs, his worry now directed at the capital offender that is Kuchiki Rukia.

He was right, right was right!

But he shouldn't have said anything.

Because in the end, it costed him the once again found centre of his universe.

…

…

…

"Hisana!", I jumped, "Behind you!"

I didn't want to turn away, anyone fighting a man like Aizen Sosuke would never even think about that. But Ichigo's voice was so desperate that I maybe I would regret not doing so in the end.

A replica of the brown haired Captain caught my attention, running straight at Rukia, who had Kuchiki Taicho protecting her front. The defected Captain had his arms extended, ready to strike the raven haired man's back at any time he wished. Eyes widened and then narrowed as I snapped my head back to look the Aizen standing behind me.

"You!", I shouted and flashed stepped over to them, no longer paying any attention to the fight that I fought diligently.

I acted as a barrier between the two Taicho from consecutive divisions. Getsuei-ken Wakahiru was not needed for me to grasp the large wrist and pull it down. It was simple to block such a straightforward attack.

I huffed the moment we made skin contact, "They're unarmed-"

The Aizen Taicho that I had momentarily departed from, the one who had been distracting me this entire time when his real self snuck pass me, sent in my way a sweet sincere smile.

A sweet sincere smile.

"Indeed, the two of them were unharmed. However."

The ever so firm grip I had on my released zanpakuto, just fell out of my hands. I stuttered, stumbled, began breathing desperately. Both of the doppelgangers' smiles grew in correspondence to just how satisfied they were at that moment.

My eyes for the second time in the last seven minutes broke away from the bespectacled auburn haired man and turned to look at Wakahiru laying upon the dirty ground.

_No..._

_No..._

My free right arm twitched, inching forward at the long white blade beside my feet. Before I could even bend down to retrieve Getsuei-ken Wakahiru, my writing limb instinctively changed its course and held onto the defected captain's extended forearm like its left partner.

I blinked and opened my mouth, a trickle of blood slid across the centre of my lower lip before it ran down my chin.

_No..._

"Gah...", I whimpered when the Aizen I had been fighting came beside his clone, holding onto the collar of the clone's haori.

"I didn't intend on hitting _them_. It was designed to mislead you."

The Sosuke I had been holding with my two hands dispersed, revealing that; one, I had been fighting the real Aizen the entire time; two it was the Kyoka Suigetsu in its Shikai; three, I was actually holding tightly onto the sharp end of the zanpakuto;

four, said zanpakuto-I realized as I looked down at my cut palms-had made its way to pierce me at the middle of my abdomen.

"You...", I whispered, unable to say anything else due to the wave of shock and pain.

With the hilt of his now sealed zanpakuto wrapped wrapped in his fingers, the brown haired man had no trouble pulling the blade sideways to the left and then back, successfully creating a significantly larger wound in my stomach. I could do nothing, all of the reiatsu I had been emanating out of my body just momentarily before had depleted. My form was so weak now that I had to actually support my weight on his sword that was the reason I was so exhausted now.

"Hm...maybe I should have personally dispatched you myself when you were no longer needed. Then those futile attempts in the past wouldn't have been needed.", he muttered, tilting his head to the side, the locks of hair that covered his forehead fell to one side.

_I can't believe I would fall for that trick! _I shuddered, feeling the full impact of the katana moving through my flesh.

_And even after Kiyone from the Fourth Squad warned all of us...I'm so blind!_

Slowly turning my face upward and allowing the rays of sunlight to hit my pale cheeks, I glared at the Captain. Thick beads of sweat fell from my jaws with as much force as the droplets of blood out of the blade.

Aizen lifted his chin slightly upward, giving me a whole new view of how disgusting his cavity sweetsmile was, "Oh...dear Hisana, did I stab you too roughly? Does it really hurt that much?"

"You..."

"I'm...sorry."

When the auburn haired man retracted the zanpakuto, it as well denied me something to lean on, and without the support, I fell down in front of his feet. Like a dead lead weight, a loud thump was heard, followed by the raspy chokes coming from my throat.

"Hisana...!"

"No..."

"...Nnnngh..."I placed a hand over the much too wide cut to cover with my fingers. Ichigo from the corner of my eyes was seen squirming around, and desperately tried to find a way, anyway to help me fend off the tall Taicho.

I shook my head as my line of vision began to falter, everything refracted in my eyes began spinning. Not able to take it any longer, I allowed my head to rest on the brown soil and shut my eyes to allow the energy leave my limbs.

"No...no...Hisana! Wake up!", Ichigo hollered slamming his fists on the ground, "Don't give up!"

"_You give up too easily Lady Hisana...", Wakahiru pushed me, sending my worn out form back into a large boulder, "Ichigo and Renji are putting their lives on the line to save Kuchiki Rukia."_

I frowned

"Don't give up!"

_Easier said than done._

"Hisana!"

"Ryoka boy, don't waste your breath any more."

"No! Hisana! Wake up!"

_Giving up again are we?_

The words of a certain white clad zanpakuto echoed in my head

_Remember, why did you go through all this training? _

_'...I can't remember...'_, I shot back at him, feeling more blood rush out my wound.

_Keep on trying. _

_'I can't! All I know is that I'm in pain!'_

_Remember Mistress. Remember why you took each step to this day. Remember. Remember why you were able to achieve Bankai._

_'…'_

_Recall the emotion that ran through you when I told you that you will never master me._

_'...I...yeah. I think I can remember.'_

_..._

"Hisana!"

_Kurosaki Ichigo is calling out to you. Go._

"Hisana!"

"Scream all you like. She is finished. Your words won't reach where she is now.", the brown haired man rumbled.

My fingers twitched, successfully stopping Ichigo's shouts.

Everything weighed down on my broken body. My limbs felt detached from my body.

But I managed to shoot out an arm under myself and push up. My legs pulled me forward.

"...!", I immediately jumped over to the abandoned tanto. It seemed to me that Getsuei-ken Wakahiru was laying ten miles away from me, when in reality the distance between the two of us was more like ten inches.

Hope shone upon me when the edges of my fingers grazed the smooth hilt of my zanpakuto. I pushed myself just a little more in order to wrap my hand around his white holder.

Grip.

"!"

Something pulled me back forcefully, and I lost all physical contact with Wakahiru. My eyes widened as the distance between us grew further apart, and then the white tanto blade escaped the line of my sight. I was then forced to at the bronze rooftops of the Seireitei, the cold wind hitting me on the side.

"Ugh...", my eyes narrowed as both of my arms shot up to the crown of my head. I pounded on the hand holding that grabbed at my hair, pulling it into a tight bundle.

"I don't think you should be doing that. You don't want the roots of your beautiful hair brutally yanked out of your scalp now.", Aizen's voice murmured close behind me as he used his hold to pull my neck this and that way.

_'This is not good...'_

I whimpered, feeling that the way my body hung from his strong arm made it easier for red liquid to ooze out faster.

"Hmph...", the brown haired man chuckled deeply, "Hmph."

"Hisana-san!", it was Rukia calling out to me, "No!"

Aizen ignored her, "Persistent on living aren't we? It surprises me that you can still fight."

"...", I began coughing, the blood flowing in my veins finding another route to escape my body.

Kreen...

"It's admirable in a pathetic way."

My coughs began growing more violent when I heard the force of friction between something that resembled a sharp zanpakuto unsheathing.

My feet dangled helplessly two feet up in the air, my arms grabbed at nothing.

Aizen's blade created a deep vibration that echoed in my ear.

"You won't survive this final blow.", he whispered.

I felt my body swinging violently the the right and the next thing I knew, I was staring at Rukia and my Taicho, Renji and Ichigo lying over at the side of the barren field.

"Guys...", I was able to stutter out before the Fifth Division Taicho cut in.

"Since there have been _so _many secrets revealed today, I think...", I could feel his smile radiating at my exposed neck.

"Hisana-san!"

"Hmph.", he breathed in, shifting his weight over on one leg.

I continued breathing in and out heavily, listening to his low chuckle, "As I was saying, maybe before your decapitated, you at least deserve to know a little secret I'm willing to expose."

"...", I could feel the sweat on my neck and blood mix together and seep into the black linen of my shihakusho. My eye sight worsened, the lack of wetness of my throat blocked my voice from reaching out to any of them.

"Oh Kuchiki Taicho...are you still alive?", Aizen half asked and half chimed. The raven haired man showed that he was listening by laying dormant and silent in his younger sister's arms.

"..."

"Hm...seems you may not be conscious to hear my next words. Oh well.", he sighed and held me higher above the ground, "Anyway, do you not agree that Sakamoto has such an exquisite name? Sakamoto Hisana."

"..."

"I seem to recall that your late wife was called by that. Kuchiki Hisana. Sakamoto Hisana. Hisana...Hi...sa...na..."

The brown haired Captain sounded as though he was tasting the name, seeing how fluid it was on his lips.

_The cursed man... _

"Which do you think sounds better: Sakamoto Hisana or Kuchiki Hisana? Kuchiki Taicho, what do you say?", he questioned, taking one smooth glide over to stand closer to the ever tense crowd. I too was tense, as the slightest turn of my Taicho's head told me that from the corner of his eyes, he could see me.

"..."

"You sick bastard!", Ichigo shouted, "Let her go! Let her go!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

"NO!"

"...Personally...I think I find Sakamoto Hisana sounds more pleasant to the ear. After all..."

I winced as the dead grip on my head tightened and lifted me up even higher off the dirt ground.

"No! Please don't!", Ichigo called.

But it was too late.

_Shuk!_

"..."

"Hisana-san..."

"No..."

"After all, I knew that things would lead you into Nyakuya's sanity. So fifteen years ago, I personally gave you that name."

I couldn't say anything. It was physically impossible to do so, no matter how hard I would try.

Kyoka Suigetsu was thrusted tip first right through my throat.

"...A...a...", was all that I could manage out. And then Aizen pulled his blade out from the back of me, as well releasing his hold on me, I stood on my own two feet on the ground.

I couldn't stand for any time exceeding two seconds. My ankles became rubber and my knees crashed first onto the hard soil and small pebbles.

"Hm."

_No..._

I could feel something warm falling down over my blood stained cheeks. My eyes widened, my mouth slightly parted. Brows shot up past my thick bangs.

"..."

Two shaking hands brought themselves up to feel and caress my windpipe wound. The hole was big, large enough for me to stick three fingers into my neck.

"...A...a..."

_'...I can't breathe...! _

_My lungs can't get the air I need..._

_I need air...'_

I mimicked movements that looked to others like I was suffocating. And I was.

"...Why don't you just go and die already?", his deep voice rang through my ear, chilling my spine.

I heard his apparently sheathed sword pulled out again, the same eery clanging of fine metal against one other and disrupting my mind.

Then a gust of wind from behind me took over and halted the zanpakuto.

"Ah. There's a face I haven't seen in a while."

"Twitch even a finger and you'll lose your head."

Everything rushed past me. I heard new three thunderous masses of bodies surrounding Sokyoku Hill preceding an even louder eruption. The presence of still standing Shinigami of Captain ranks appeared, new voiced where heard. But I couldn't listen very well.

All I could focus on was the fact that blood was pooling at my legs, and there was a gaping hole there I was supposed to breath.

The edges of my eyesight grew black and continued to spread out. My head was feeling light, and my neck didn't even feel like it was there anymore.

I could muster enough outside world attention to hear a female voice say this:

"You're surrounded by all Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

That was all the support I need to let go.

My upper body began swinging.

_'Sorry...everyone.'_

My body dived through the air.

_'This is as far as my body and could can carry on for...'_

Thump!

_'I'm going to leave the rest to you guys.'_

I heard my name being called out by a chorus of people I've come to know in the last seven years.

_'It was fun while it lasted.'_

My lips opened, and then closed to block out keep in my remainder to blood fluid.

_'And Kuchiki Taicho?'_

"..."

He couldn't hear me of course...

_'I hope you can see this as a thank you..._

_from me...'_

My brown eyes lifeless.

_'Ichigo...Ichigo...I love..._

_I love..._

_..._

_..._

_...'_

_"**HISANA!"**_

My eyes never closed when death came.

-TBC-

**Thank you for waiting for this late chapter to come out! And I kinda just threw in how Aizen actually named Hisana **_**Hisana**_** in because I had a 'brain fart'. What I meant was that he used Kyoka Suigetsu to manipulate her parents into naming her Hisana. All for his sole pleasure in seeing Byakuya and Hisana suffer. **

**What do you guys think? Should her last thoughts have been for Byakuya or Ichigo? I was about to just kick Ichigo out, and make her last words dedicated to Byakuya and everything he's done for her, but then I remember she never got to finish saying I love you to Ichigo back on the cliff either. So yeah...**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto**


	25. Beautiful Sayonara, Thankful Sayonara

**The exams are coming up for me. Got really about one month and something left of school. I'm now not sure if I should be happy or not. **

**ANYWAY, THERE'S A LONG WEEKEND FOR ME. **

**Please review!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto**

"Someone bring Abarai Fukutaicho to the relief station! You two over there go help the Ryoka!"

"Yes sir!"

"And the rest of you, Second through Fifth Division take a look after Komamura Taicho! Sixth Squadron look after your Taicho, you guys too, from Tenth and Eleventh!"

"Yes!"

"And all present Eighth and Thirteenth Divisions, tend to Third Seat Sakamoto and her wounds! Immediately! Report back to me when there have been any changes in her condition!", the blonde Official of the Relief Company shouted, declaring proper action be taken out until the arrival of the expected Unohana Taicho.

He glanced over to the girl that fell victim to Aizen's assaults. They all took a toll on their bodies, even the orange haired Ryoka that was reported to have outwitted Captain class Shinigami. But by far, Sakamoto Hisana would have been easily classified as the one in the worst condition out of all of them, and the one placed in the most dangerous situation...

and the one who is most likely to not survive past this day.

He frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose, ashamed that he would assume such negative thoughts on the expense of a fellow third Seat. Where there is a will there is a way, he encouraged himself.

_'Where there is a will, there will be a way. Yes.'_, he thought optimistically, running over to his arriving Taicho on her zanpakuto.

Half a small soccer field from where he once stood, the members of Ukitake and Shusui's Division-including the two themselves-surrounded the still form of a female.

Shunsui, tilted his straw hat downward as he examined her eyes seriously. They held a distant and barely concentrated look in them, her once liquid brown orbs faded to become a nearly cold gray. Hisana held them open wide like most of the days he knew her, though they no longer carried the warm and joyous feeling that came along, and it seemed as though the wideness of her young eyes was even larger than normal...and more strained.

He sighed and lifted his right arm to peer at the abandoned zanpakuto he recognized was hers. Wakahiru was kept within it's sealed state, now nothing more than an ordinary cold metallic katana wrapped in green silk.

"Her zanpakuto has changed out of its Bankai against her will...", he informed aloud, everyone of them heard, but the statement was directed at the pale white haired Captain of the Thirteenth Division.

Ukitake tensed and looked down at the girl he was holding in his arms. She was stiff as her upper body was supported by is right arm. Her chin tilted upward to allow her eyes to look at the blue sky. The blood previously spilling from the corners of her lips have dried out, and she was no longer sweating. Or moving.

"So it was true than, that rumour I heard that she looked for Kurotsuchi to learn Bankai...", he frowned, examining the new piece of fabric adorning her waist and cascading across the hakama pants, "That extra article of clothing on her shihakusho should have told me everything, but...Sakamoto, do you know how foolish you have been?"

There was no response out of the said female's part. All that she did in response to his accusation was to not move a muscle.

Kyoraku peered over at his old time friend and then back at the jet black haired girl, placing his three longest fingers atop of the hole peeking out of her throat. He waited.

_'No good.'_, he confirmed and sighed an umpteenth time.

"Ukitake, there's not really much mistaking in my assumption that-"

"I don't need to hear it. I've already known.", the silver haired Captain cut in, shaking his head with his eyes closed, "But what should we do now? Should we tell them at this particular moment? I mean..._now?_"

"...It's...not such a good idea now is it?"

"..."

his shadowed eyes observed the still girl. He couldn't think of anything else that could express his frustration other than breathing out an exasperated sigh, "For now...why don't we just let her lie down ?"

"...", Ukitake spoke of nothing, but only followed the suggestion the Taicho of Eighth Company made.

…

…

…

"Rukia, is that you?"

"Yes. It's me. Nii-sama."

"...I have something to tell you."

Unohana, who stood beside the two siblings noticed Shunsui and the pale Ukitake walk toward them. The straw hat captain could have been described to be as sickly as his long time friend.

…

…

...

"Kurosaki Ichigo...I thank you.", Byakuya rasped in a tone just loud enough for the Ryoka boy to hear.

"...Feh.", he half sighed and chuckled, to the raven haired Taicho, meant that this teenager boy had accepted the thanks.

"Rukia...", he continued, pulling his hand over to hold the wrongly convicted Shinigami.

"...?"

"I'm sorry.", he whispered. Her eyes visibly widened and shook.

"..."

He saw the Ukitake and Shunsui standing before them all and Shunsui stating to Unohana Taicho that "There is a situation.".

"Yes?", the stoic female Captain asked and listened intently as inaudible words were whispered into her left ear. Byakuya visibly saw her gentle eyes widen and stare back at the raven haired womanizer.

He looked over to his accompanying friend, Ukitake and caught the silver haired man staring at him. He flinched and peeled his eyes away from Byakuya's own violet ones and looked at Rukia for a moment, before peering at the distant buildings to the left of Sokyoku Hill.

Byakuya turned to look at his younger sister, continuing to hold onto her smaller hands. She looked back at him, her curiosity as peeked as his. What could they have been talking about that would have been such a big situation?

As Kyoraku Taicho retreated his lips from Unohana's ear, she called out to her Third Seat for him to come over and continue treating his own wounds. When her instructions were made clear, she stood up and followed briskly forward , the two of the three oldest Captains of the Gotei 13 following right behind. All three of them walked in the most feverish and desperate steps Byakuya had ever seen since becoming a Captain himself.

And his hunger for an explanation was slowly, but in an explainable manner, eating out his guts.

The raven haired man called out to the kneeling figure of Unohana's Third Seat Officer, "Might you have an idea of what circumstances are surrounding the matter's that has led your Taicho from leaving?"

He nodded slowly, "Yes, sir. I have just been informed of it a few moments before coming to you."

"..."

"..."

"...Well?"

"Well...the news has been kept as low and long as possible, until the conditions of the injured officers have been stabilized."

"Tell me."

He panicked, "Forgive me Kuchiki Taicho, but I'm afraid that my announcement will not be the best for your current condition."

"Tell me anyway.", he replied in a firm tone, "I, as a Captain of the Gotei 13 have the right to be informed to things surrounding the people."

"...Yes.", the blonde muttered, and busied himself from a world of curious stares directed at all corners with unwrapping a clean set of cloth.

"I am waiting."

"...It is unfortunate for me to say that this situation my Taicho is dealing with is in regard to your Third Seat, Sakamoto Hisana."

"..."

Nothing else was said. Byakuya blinked quickly, his heartbeat in hyper drive.

…

…

…

_The heart dies a slow and painful death. Like leaves falling off of the branches of a tree, until there are no more leaves left to fall down. No more hope. No more life. Nothing at all..._

I found myself dressed in a white untainted yukata. It would be the the cleanest article of clothing I would have worn for the last few days. But how did I get into it?

I half sighed, half scoffed to myself.

"Is this what it truly means to be dead?", I whispered.

"Yes. My child."

I jumped. As I turned around, I recognized the silhouette of a figure amidst the dense fog of clouds, slowly making her way toward my standing form. When she came close enough, I saw that the figure that spoke to me was a small old lady in her senior years, dressed in a green kimono, a mark of a married woman. Her head was purely thinned and grayed out, knotted into a tight and high bun.

She carried a soft seniority smile that was often expressed on her features, evident from the fine lines etched onto her eyes and cheeks. I blinked in surprise as she looked up at me.

"Who are you?", I asked quietly, not knowing what else to say to her, a nervous glance telling the old lady everything I was feeling.

"I'm Mrs. Tanaka. I live in this world and escort the departed souls from Soul Society into the Real world.", she gently replied, before taking my hand in hers and nudging me to follow her.

"Now this way, Hisana-chan."

"Where...are we going?", I questioned, but non the less followed her.

"We are heading toward the doors to the Real World.", she turned back to look at me, "But before you go, I will allow you to look back at your life, from the day that you were born to the last moments of your breath."

I slowly nodded, not knowing what to feel inside my heart.

"Okay."

Mrs. Tanaka smiled, though, her smile was never absent the entire time I conversed with her, "I'm sorry to say that yours had been one of the shortest lived ones I've ever had the chance to see. But it DID happen. Your story starts fifteen years ago, in Harajuku, Japan."

…

…

…

"What?", was what parted from his dry lips.

Byakuya's fears became a reality, an all too difficult truth to face.

"N-no!", he could hear Kurosaki Ichigo shout out from a few feet away, entrapped in the odd orb of regenerating light his friend held him in, said friends standing close to the orb to proven him from moving, no matter how much he wanted to.

"...Kurosaki Ichigo. Please calm yourself down.", Unohana pleaded, moving toward the group of Ryoka .

"No! I'm not going to calm down!", he shouted, "You guys! Let go of me!"

The thin raven haired boy responded, "If you move around, you'll kill yourself. Wait until Orihime is done tending to your wounds."

"Kurosaki-kun...please...", the female whimpered.

"LET ME OUT!"

His protests were futile, as they refused to free him, and the chestnut haired girl had matured her powers enough to hold him inside the transparent dome.

Byakuya on the other hand, was not tied down, and pushed himself to sit up.

This shocked Rukia, "Nii-sama!"

He breathed heavily, holding onto his younger sister's small palm, "Rukia, help me over to where she is."

"Nii-sama...you can't-"

"Rukia."

"But you're hurt!", she stuttered, and the twenty-eight head of the Kuchiki family turned to see that tears have begun to hang onto the waterline of her eyes.

"Rukia...I want to see her.", he whispered, bending his legs in order to hoist himself up, "I..."

"Kuchiki Taicho, please stay down.", the hand of the Fourth Division Captain on his right shoulder held him down. Rukia aid the female Captain with the task.

"...Nii-sama. I will go look...", the black haired girl suggested, holding on his wrist and pressing him down into the cleansing force field.

Byakuya reluctantly leaned back onto the dirt floor as his sister proceeded to move over to the ever growing crowd of medical Shinigami.

Unohana looked at him, remorse compiling her look as she stood up and followed Rukia. The Sixth Division Taicho laid there by himself, aside from the Third Seat from Unohana's squadron kneeling beside him.

"I...I give you my condolences, Kuchiki Taicho.", he mumbled, "She was a valuable asset to the Seireitei, that, Hisana was."

"...", he didn't say anything, and just turned his head to the left to see the hoard of Shinigami being dispersed upon the command of Unohana Taicho. Rukia was allowed to kneel beside the form of his Third Seat of one year.

At that moment, Byakuya realized something. His sister, that he brought into the family fourty-nine years ago , was shaking, her shoulders shuddering. The Soul Reapers that were shooed off displayed a crestfallen look on their faces, and some looked as if...

as if they were going to die.

The orange haired Ryoka that saved his sister was belting out his pain at the top of his lungs.

"_HISANA..." _

_Hisana..._

The shouts emitted from every present creature clogged his ears, and prevented him from taking in the proper intakes of oxygen needed to think properly.

Even the simple task of listening to what his brain thinking was hard to do, he could not hear his own thoughts...

he could only hear the echos of a three syllable name being repetitively spoken in his mind.

And that was all the fuel he needed to bolt up and run toward his jet black haired subordinate.

"Wait! Kuchiki Taicho!"

"Your wounds will open up again!"

"I implore you to stop!"

"Kuchiki Taicho!" 

Still Byakuya kept his unsteady sprint, and threw uncouth attacks upon every person that dared to stop him whenever he wanted to proceed with an intent.

"Please!"

"Kuchiki Taicho!"

"Stop!"

He didn't hear a word of their shouts. Everything that vibrated off of his eardrums translated into Sakamoto Hisana.

"_Sakamoto Hisana..."_

"_Sakamoto Hisana..."_

"_Sakamoto..."_

"_Hisana..."_

And finally, he collapsed with a sharp 'thud' on his knees, sure that he broke a piece of cartilage or bone due to the heavy impact. Rukia was making sounds that showed him that she was sobbing as she held onto the thin fabric of her own yukata tightly.

At that moment, Byakuya ceased to hear anything concerning the outside world. Everything literally muted.

As the world was gone to him, he could hear the shaky breaths coming from him as he exhaled, then inhaled, then exhaled and then inhaled. Exhaled...

It became too difficult to breathe. It had been a sense of self he had never felt before. Not even when his wife, Hisana passed away that young Spring day.

Byakuya's thought brought him back to the first time when he was alone with the girl.

He hadn't seen her face, as his eyes were glued shut because he was pretending to sleep. It was late into the night during Winter. He had been working overtime, catching up with his paperwork, and so was she.

She had offered him a source of affection and care he had not been exposed to for a long time. Byakuya had been bothered by the idea that she shared a name that brought him heartache alongside her arrival into his life. He figured that he would hate her because of it, in order to prevent the soiling of his fond memories with a certain Lady Hisana he had fallen in love with so many years ago and was still attached attached to. Byakuya intentionally made things harder on her for the sake of his injured heart and Hisana. He told himself that he hated everything she did. She was the living embodiment of everything he found distasteful in life, the source that would lead him to forget his beloved Kuchiki Hisana.

He hated her for something that she could not prevent from happening, as proven when that Aizen confessed to using his cunning zanpakuto to have her parents name their daughter 'Hisana', all for his sick pleasure in seeing Byakuya react to such a profanity. Byakuya had been merely a spawn for him to toy around with, and with his undeniably sour personality, the head of the Kuchiki estate had made an innocent girl suffer through the seven years she spent in the Seireitei...

The raven haired Captain brought a hand to cup her pale cheeks. His thumb rubbed away a blotch of crimson blood underneath her brown eyes.

Maybe if she had been someone else, a young beautiful girl that approached his insecure world with a different identity or alias, maybe this would not have been her demise. She might not have been involved with any of this. Was it his fault that she had died?

"_Don't worry Kuchiki Taicho, I'm going to train harder so that you don't have to be hurt anymore."_

"_Kuchiki Taicho, you're going to get a cold like that. So I'm just to going to put this jacket on you."_

"_Kuchiki Taicho! I left some bananas outside your office for you!"_

"_Don't die! Kuchiki Taicho! You stupid idiot! Why die because of me? You have the world to live for! I have nothing..." _

Sakamoto Hisana was a selfless person. Now he realized it. She had done nothing that should have been rightfully repaid by his slap in her face...and that injury and humiliation she took back at Shino Academy.

He was a bastard. An stupid man indeed. Undeserving of the kindness she gave to him, the warmth that came with her presence near him.

"Sakamoto...", he whispered, bring his other cold hands to stroke her other cheek.

He had forgotten how soft her cheeks were. It had been a few months since he had the chance to feel them underneath his calloused palms. The last time had been during the hot springs, when she saved him from drowning.

_Oh dear lord..._

"Sakamoto...I...", he rasped out again. He looked at the deep brown pools of her eyes. They expressed a sense of fear and loneliness, obviously from dying such a way.

But behind those now lifeless orbs, he saw something that only he can see. And it was gratitude.

"_Kuchiki Taicho, I'll grow stronger so that one day I'll pay for your kindness."_

"Why?", he called out to her.

_'Why do you want to be thankful?'_

He didn't need to hear it in words. Byakuya could have guessed what her final words—in a mental sense—-to him were. She would have probably asked him to see her death as a long awaited thank you she had wanted to express to him.

Sakamoto Hisana stood before Sosuke Aizen battle ready. In a moment of utter panic she had flung herself over to him in order to block a would be death blow to Rukia and him. Her focus faltered for a moment, and it costed her everything. She managed long enough for recruits to come to their rescue. But they didn't manage to save her.

Truth hit him hard.

Hisana was dead because she protected him. And that was the final thank you he received. Everything she had supposedly been indebted to him for was finally repaid back.

A life for a life.

She had owed him nothing since the beginning. But she had made things flow that way in her little world, in order to find a reason as to why her Taicho treated her so coldly. If only he had never relentlessly assaulted her, maybe things would have been different.

"Kuchiki Taicho..."

Unohana's voice approached him.

"...What?", he muttered, his eyes turning to face the grim female.

"I am truly sorry. She will be seen as a hero."

"...A hero..."

"..."

Heroism.

Had Sakamoto ever thought of becoming one? No, she didn't. She had only wanted to be accepted. That was all that she really wanted in life. Or so he presumed.

"Please allow the girl to part with closed eyes."

"..."

With that being said, Unohana reached over to the obsidian haired girl's forehead, slowly pulling her palm downward.

"No."

The Fourth halted in her tracks, "Kuchiki Taicho..."

"I'll do it."

"..."

He replaced his hand atop the girl's forehead, slowly trailing his fingers down and over her open eyes. Once his cold digits left the upper portion of her face, her eyes were closed.

He couldn't explain it, but the sadness that overcame him when Sakamoto Hisana's eyes closed in death was just too unbearable.

Finally, he was able to listen to what was going on around him. The Ryoka boy was still shouting. The Shinigami were either silent or sobbing.

When Unohana placed the thin white fabric over her body, Byakuya asked him self if all this pain felt for his third Seat was his fault. After all, the girl they all admired had died because of a man not worth protecting. He said that he hated her because of her birth name.

Byakuya scoffed. If only he could take it back now. If only.

Hisana was a beautiful name. Everyone with that name was beautiful in his eyes.

"Hisana..."

The bearded Fourth Division Taicho brought the cloth over her face...

…

…

…

"...My child Hisana. This is the end of our walk. We have arrived at the gates that will lead to your new life.", Mrs. Tanaka called.

I sighed, but smiled, "Surprisingly, I don't feel any bit of sadness in me."

I trailed my eyes over the final time I looked at a certain raven haired Taicho's face, "Maybe it's because I know that he'll be happy that I gave him proper thanks."

"You have made your peace."

"Yes."

I turned back to look at the small smiling lady, and I smiled back at her. Never in my life have I ever felt so light hearted.

"I'm ready now."

She nodded and handed me a small bowl. I blinked and looked into the glazed bowl to see that there was a generous proportion of clear liquid in it.

"As a konpaku soul begins its new life in the Real World, all memories of its previous life must be erased, in order to keep the mechanics of the dimensions in proper order. When you drink this, things you retained as being Sakamoto Hisana will be gone once you go past these gates."

"I see. Well then...", I smiled, and bowed low, "Thank you Mrs. Tanaka."

She walked forward and placed a hand on my head, "Live well in your next life my child."

My smile didn't leave my face as I remembered to slowly pull my body up, as a sign of respect.

"_Your unacceptable bow, is not low enough..."_

"_That bow was too quick, as if you want to anger me and disrespect me." _

I laughed, recalling that second encounter with Kuchiki Byakuya.

_'I'll forget who you are Kuchiki Taicho. I just wish I could remember that there exists someone as charming as you are.'_

Having nothing to wait for any longer, I tipped the smooth edge of the water bowl to my mouth, "Thank you everyone."

_'No regrets._

_None.'_

"...You sure are an interesting girl."

Five armored fingers wrapped around the small of my wrist, effectively halting me from allowing the water to flow into my parted lips and over my tongue.

The bowl was pulled out of my hands and flung away somewhere, bringing a gasp to escape my throat.

"What?", I said, turning to look at Mrs. Tanaka, whose smile never ceased to falter.

"Tanaka-san.", the same male voice called out to her, "I humbly ask that you leave us be."

With that, she bowed and was submerged in the dense fog again, leaving me with nothing but a short, "You have my blessing."

I turned to face the man who interrupted my small ceremony, "What?"

"What?", he frowned, or so his tone implied.

"Who...are you?"

…

…

…

A hand shot out to halt Unohana's movements, successfully stopping her from completely pulling the white cloth over Hisana's head.

Byakuya was pulled out of his depression by the sudden shock, his violet blue orbs widened, "..."

"I humbly implore that you do no such thing of placing that fabric over Mistress Hisana's face."

Byakuya turned his face upward from the ground in order to see just who this person was. He was assaulted by the brightness of white clothing that could easily illuminate and blind any person.

"Who are you?", Unohana asked.

The white clothed man, or being, in his crouched position craned his neck to look at the older female, "The spirit which inhabits Mistress Hisana's zanpakuto. My name is Wakahiru."

At that comment, all eyes widened.

…

…

…

"Who are you?", I demanded again, pulling my wrist out of the tall male's hold.

"...", he didn't say anything, other than reach out at lightning speed and take a firm grip on my upper right arm.

"What? Can't even remember the guy that saved your butt multiple times from being fried?"

I raised one black eyebrow and pursed my lips, "No..."

"Geez. You ARE a weird girl.", he mumbled, pulling down his mask to show his young masculine face.

I blinked in astonishment, "?"

"Remember me now?"

My lips parted, and I shook my head slowly from side to side. The tall man, whoever he was, brought his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"...Sigh...I'm Senbonzakura!"

...cue the fainting

-TBC-

**Hm...Senbonzakura and Wakahiru huh? I wonder what's going to happen? Squeal!**

**This chapter sort of felt like a drabble didn't it? Just wanted to have a part where Byakuya sort of realized that his feelings for OC Hisana runs more deeply than a subordinate or a friend...hint hint. **

**Btw, he still loves his wife. I can never let that element disappear from this world. **

**Ah, sorry for the late update. I was doing nonsense and typing out this story for a LONG time. **

**Please Review!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto**


	26. Enter the Hapless Heroine

**This chapter isn't really a chapter. But I am pleased to present to you...drum rolls please!**

**Sakamoto Hisana!**

Salutations everyone! _*bows_ This is your hapless heroine from The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her, Sakamoto Hisana. It is a pleasure to meet you! _*bows again_.

As you can see, this is not the successive chapter in Madame Tammy's series. She apologizes very much for not updating for the past few weeks. Please understand though! This period of time in her life is all about exams, and because she is in her third year of high school, she must dedicate a lot of her time for her ISU and exams!

Usually, she would slack off on schoolwork and go on Fan Fiction to read Bleach stories written by other authors, and that gives her less time for schoolwork! Which really does not give her much time to update! But please rest assured that the twenty-sixth chapter of The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her is in progress.

Ahem! Madame Tammy has told me that because of her long time hiatus, she will make this chapter extra extra long for your satisfaction! So please keep on supporting this story and do not lose hope in it! I want to express my gratitude when I was informed that this story had gotten over one hundred reviews! _*bows_

Thank you very much!

This is a very special moment for me, because this is Madame Tammy's first fanfic that has received that many reviews! That is because she never gets committed to her other work. She is still very dedicated to this story and will successfully complete it!

I must also relay a message to The Dead Girl fans out there that Madame Tammy has many ideas prepared for this fanfic, and there will be...

_*blushes_

…

…

_*continues growing beet red_

audience: What? There will be what?

There will be_...*glows a radiant crimson the colour of Rudolph's nose_

...many...many...many...

Byakuya Hisana fluffiness to come...

_*Some viewers squeal while some others gag_

W-we're not that way! Kuchiki Taicho and I have a strictly Captain-Subordinate relationship with each other!

_*Yachiru jumps in at that instant._

Yachiru: Did you hear that? Hisa-chan has a relationship with Bya-kun!

Hisana: W-what? No!

Yachiru: They're gonna get married!

Hisana: Stop! Don't say things like that! We're not seeing each other nor are we engaged. Leave! Leave now before you give everyone the wrong idea!

Yachiru:_ *pouts_ I don't think you're telling the truth Hisa-chan! I think Bya-kun begs to differ...

Hisana: Kuchiki Taicho will agree with me too that there is nothing going on between the two of us.

Yachiru: Hisa-chan, you might have been unconscious at that time, but I think you should go and read the last chapter.

Hisana: Huh? _*skims though Chapter Twenty-Five: Beautiful Sayonara, Thankful Sayonara_

Yachiru: Madame Tammy tells me that you can see that Bya-kun has begun to like you!

Hisana:...

Yachiru: I've seen this in the movies! The guy falls in love with the girl, the girl falls in love with the guy, he proposes to her, and then they ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after!

Hisana: I-if there is any chance that Kuchiki Taicho and I go off into the sunset, it is likely due to the fact that he is rescuing me from the grips of an evil hollow that swallowed me whole.

Yachiru: _*squeal_ I totally forgot! The guy s has to save the girl and become her knight in shining armor!

Hisana: _*blushes again_ Leave right now! LEAVE LEAVE LEAVE!

_*Ichigo enters, huffing and puffing like crazy from sprinting_

Ichigo: What? What did you say about Byakuya liking Hisana?

Hisana: I-Ichigo-kun!

Ichigo: Hisana! _*grabs her shoulders and starts shaking her_ Is it true? Do you like Byakuya?

Hisana: No! I only like you Ichigo-kun! Sure Kuchiki Taicho is really really charming and handsome and tall and dark-

_*Byakuya appears when he hears that Hisana likes Ichigo_

Hisana: -and Kuchiki Taicho is smart and skillful and wise and really really cool-

Ichigo: _*eye twitches_ So you _DO_ like him! Argh! _*pulls at his hair and starts stomping around the stage_ This is what I get from losing you seven years ago!

_*tears well up in Hisana's eyes when she remembers that day._

Hisana: _*sniff..._

_*Ichigo stiffens_

Ichigo: I...

Byakuya: Kurosaki Ichigo, I ask that you refrain from disturbing my Third Seat.

Hisana: Wah! _*turns around to face him_ When did you get here Taicho?

Byakuya: It doesn't matter. I've been around long enough to know what is going on around here.

Ichigo: Byakuya!

Byakuya:...Kurosaki Ichigo.

Hisana: Taicho...Ichigo...

Yachiru: Yachiru!

_*Byakuya takes out a bag of sweets and throws them off stage. Yachiru jumps after it._

Hisana: _*stares at Byakuya and blushes_ Taicho...about what Yachiru said...

Byakuya: There is no truth to it.

Crowd: Yeah, just like how there is no truth to the fact that you actually saw Hisana's breasts back at the hot springs when you nearly drowned and you told her that you didn't see anything.

Ichigo: WHAT? ARGH! _*runs offstage to get Zangetsu_.

Hisana: Ichigo-kun! Ichigo!

Byakuya:...Ignorant boy.

Hisana: Kuchiki Taicho! That's my boyfriend you're talking about.

Byakuya_:...*stares back at her, quite taken back by her statement_

Hisana: I mean_...*blushes and slaps a hand to her forehead_ Me and my big mouth...

_*a rolled up ball of paper is thrown at Byakuya's head, landing perfectly into Hisana's hand._

Byakuya: Who did that? _*unsheathes Senbonzakura_

Hisana: It's a note from Madame Tammy. She's telling us to keep on track with the author's message and leave our love life problems for another time.

Sorry everyone! _*bows_ As I was saying, there will be many surprises coming your way if you keep on reading The dead Girl That Made Me Love Her!

Before we end things, there are some pieces of important information that Madame Tammy would like to clear up for our readers!

Byakuya: Yes, Madame Tammy's writing is awfully confusing and odd at times. She asas well yet to learn how to proofread.

_*Another paper ball is thrown at Byakuya's head._

Hisana: Kuchiki Taicho! Are you okay?

Byakuya:...I'm fine. _*his fingers twitch_

Hisana: Well, alright. Let's move one!

First, it is a fact that in Soul Society when a spirit takes the appearance of a young child, their growth spurt is much more rapid than that of a soul that looks to be a teenager or older. This is seen when Renji has the flashback of his Rukongai days with Rukia. They looked like ten year olds when they met each other. However, ten years later, both Rukia and Renji take on the appearance of old teenagers.

This fact as well applies to me, Sakamoto Hisana. However, please remember that I am technically FIFTEEN-YEARS-OLD! I take on the appearance of a fifteen-year-old teenager as well!

Second, Up until this point, everyone had assumed that I was killed when a truck slammed into the school bus Ichigo-kun and I were in. The truth is revealed that it was not that the truck hit our school bus, but that a Hollow sent by Aizen actually threw itself into the vehicle, which THEN tackled the truck. Thus, your hapless heroine's human life ended by the hands of the Bleach universe's antagonist, Sosuke Aizen!

Third, apparently I was not coincidentally named Hisana at birth! Aizen had used his zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu to manipulate my parents into naming me Hisana for his own entertainment when the day comes when I meet Kuchiki Taicho! My life was not to be lived freely by me since the day I was born!

Kuchiki Taicho, do you still hate me because I have the same name as your wife?

Byakuya:...um...Who said that I ever hated you?

_*The crowd boos and throws things at him._

Hisana:...

Byakuya:...

Hisana: Never mind then...

Byakuya:...

Hisana: My zanpakuto, Wakahiru, is translated as goddess of the sun. It is a katana that is unusually longer than the other zanpakuto that exist in the Soul Society, and is considered to be the longest in length in its Shikai form.

Wakahiru is a wind type zanpakuto, and I use the force of my swings to create sharp blows of air. The strength I must place whenever I use Wakahiru is supposed to make a whipping sound through the air, a technique that I have recently mastered thanks to the help of my training with Kurotsuchi Taicho.

You will notice that the lotus is often mentioned throughout the story. That is because the symbol of Wakahiru is the lotus. The lotus petals in my mouth and wound during that night when I was attacked at the Fourth Holy Grounds was placed there by Wakahiru. Apparently, they have minimal healing powers.

Wherever Wakahiru walks, there will be a fully bloomed lotus flower underneath his footsteps. It is quite ego-manic, but Wakahiru tells me that his feet have never been dirtied in his life, and the flowers grow wherever he steps in order to keep his shoes clean...

This idea of the lotus stems from a Buddhist tale of a child born with clean feet.

I, Sakamoto Hisana, was born in and raised in Harajuku, Tokyo. My entire family moved to Karakura Town when I was in junior high because of the family business. The Sakamoto family has for many generations run a respectable pharmacy, and to this day, still work as pharmacists. This is where my interest in medicine was stemmed from. If it wasn't for Kuchiki Taicho and his undying hatred for me, I think I would be in the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13.

Byakuya: Sakamoto, I don't hate you.

_*An orange haired flash appears_

Ichigo: Zangetsu! Getsuha Tensho!

Hisana: What? Ichigo! What are you doing?

Ichigo: Hisana! I'll restore your pride as a pure and untainted woman!

Hisana: Ichigo! Stop! It was an accident! Kuchiki Taicho said that he saw nothing!

Ichigo: He's lying!

Byakuya: Nobles do not lie. I set an example for all prideful men in the world.

Ichigo: Liar! You saw my girlfriend's body even before _I _got to!

_*The crowd gasps. Hisana's eyes widen and begins to grow red again._

Hisana: Ichigo-kun! How can you say such things like that?

_*Ichigo being Ichigo, realizes his mistake and turns shy, looking away from Hisana. His cheeks are slightly tinted pink._

Byakuya: And now, I shall protect my Third Seat's pride as a woman.

Ichigo: You-!

Yachiru: It's the fight for the maiden!

_*A bunch of clashing erupts suddenly._

Hisana: No no no! Argh! Everyone, I'm so sorry! This has all taken a different turn in events. But anyway, before we end this, Madame Tammy would like to announce to everyone that the next REAL update of The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her is going to be on June 10. Madame Tammy understands that this is twenty something days from today, but that is the earliest she can finish Chapter Twenty-Six with all the work she has. She has an English exam on that day, and when she comes home, she will have the Chapter updated!

_*bows_

Please stay tuned to see what will happen to your hapless heroine, Sakamoto Hisana! Will I die or will I live? Only time will tell! And what is this? Why is Senbonzakura and Wakahiru here?

To be continued!

Bye!

Ichigo: Getsuha Tensho!

Hisana: Ichigo-kun-!

_*The force of his attack breaks the camera, bring the screen to a static._

**Well yeah, please review! Feel free to ask me any questions that still confuses you, and tell me whether you think Byakuya actually saw Hisana's 'goodies'! _*giggle._**

**I've turned into a shonen ai fan. Oh my goodness, I never thought I would. **

**GrimmIchi forever!**

**(Shuuhei and Gin together is an interesting couple...) **

**-Tammy Sakamoto**


	27. Loath To Depart

…

**Er...hem...**

**Well, I nearly forgot to update this... **

**So...yeah, it's not June 10****th****, and I haven't updated like I was supposed to...**

**Sorry about that.**

**Er...I was lost in the pathway of life...**

**Okay I'm joking. But I've finished four of my five exams, and this leaves me with only my Math exam on Tuesday, so The Dead Girl That made Me Love Her will be active again. I hope I didn't lose any people here!**

**Anyway, please review! And thank you thank you thank you everyone that has added me to their Alerts and Favourites these past few days even though I didn't update! I hope I don't disappoint you! **

**And to reviewers, please make your comments make sense...*glares at one particular person on Fan Fiction.**

**So yes, like I said, please review!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto **

"T-that's...impossible...", I muttered, pulling my arm out of the taller man's vice grip.

"Nothing is impossible. And choose to believe me or not, but I _am _Senbonzakura.", he calmly replied, soon after turn on his heels and walking off in a different direction.

"...", I just followed him with my eyes, unwilling to move my body from its place in front to the large gates.

His voice came as a surprise for me, "What are you doing just standing there? Follow me!"

"Where?", I shouted back.

I flinched when he flash stepped right in front of me a second time, hauling me over his shoulders easily enough and resumed his pace.

"H-hey!"

"Shut up.", he cut me, "We'll get there sooner if you just cooperate with all of this."

For the next while, I continued to struggle and demanded that he give me the answers I needed to hear. He stayed quiet the entire time though, only speaking once to utter out a quiet but sure, "Silence."

"You can stop complaining now, we're here.", he sighed and gently placed me down onto the soft cushions of the cloud rest floor.

I glanced up at another grand gate like the one the old woman escorted me to before, and then stared at the armoured "Senbonzakura" from the corner of my eyes, "...It would be nice to tell me exactly where we are, you know..."

"...These are the gates that act as the entrance to our world.", he began, "I will use it to send you back to the Seireitei, where all of your colleagues will be."

My eyes widened, "...It's...that's...impossible! I'm already dead! Even in that world! I'm supposed to be reentering the Human World again to be reborn! I-"

"Why are you in such a hurry to _die_?"

It just took those words to seal my lips.

"I have my reasons.", I said after a short moment of silence.

"Hm...", the self proclaimed Senbonzakura, peered up to the sky and contemplated to himself, "We've got some time left. Why don't you explain to me what that reason is?"

"That's none of your concern!"

"...Oh yeah?", he huffed and crossed his arms, "Considering that your death will inflict a great deal of harm on my master, I see that it has _everything _to do with me."

To hear the mention of my Taicho at that moment caused something inside of me to snap like a raging inferno.

"That's exactly the problem!", I cried, my hand grasping onto the cloth covered elbow of my left arm, "I've just realized that a life that was meant to be mine, had never been my own to live1 Do you how it feels to realize that? Even at the moment that I was born, every step I took had been set up by Aizen!"

"..."

"When you've been raised to believe that the path your life takes is completely up to you, big news like that... I give up! I don't want to be a little play thing in some villain's big plan too-"

BAM!

"Ow!", I yelped, rubbing the top of my head where he had brought down his massive hand to punch me.

"You idiot! Would you just stop bitching around?"

I gasped.

_'Did he just call me a bitch?'_

"You're really starting to get on my nerves! Man up a bit! You think life is all about happy endings?"

"No..."

"Well you're right! When things get tough, then you try to get through it! When you fall flat on your ass, you get up again with your legs! You don't _'give up'_! Yeah?"

"...Yes...?"

"You got it?"

"Um...Okay...?"

"Good!", he huffed and slapped my back a few times, "Because, Sakamoto..."

"...?", I flinched and looked up at him wearily.

"If you really wanted to move on back then..."

He placed a hand on the side of my face and thumbed my cheeks.

"You wouldn't have been shedding these tears of sorrow."

I blinked and stared at his hand as a bead of a teardrop fell off of the tip of his finger.

"When did I start..."

"The entire time. And that tells me that you never wanted to leave him behind."

At that moment, the gates began rumbling, and slowly creaked open in front of the two of us. Pausing only a moment to look at the newly revealed bright light, I turned back to look at Senbonzakura.

He looked a lot like Kuchiki Taicho. And for some reason, it made me grin like a teenage girl.

"Thanks...for making me realize that I couldn't leave Ichigo's side."

"Heh.", he threw an arm around and leaned down to my eye level. His eyes gave off a mischievous glint.

"I wasn't really talking about Berry boy there."

I blinked, "Then who are you taking about then?"

"Figure that out for yourself, you idiot! Now go! Wakahiru is waiting for you to wake up!"

He pushed me forward, and at that point the light was already engulfing me slowly.

"Never give up Sakamoto!", he threw in and then cackled. I knitted my eyebrows together and pursed my lips. But my frown quickly disappeared when he shouted those four words again.

_'Never give up?_

_I've been telling myself that for the last seven years.'_

"Hey, Senbonzakura?"

"What?"

I turned around and faced him directly.

"You've talked a lot, but really, all I needed to hear was 'Never give up'."

"...Huh?", he frowned and tilted his head to one side, totally oblivious to what I meant.

I giggled, "You suck at giving pep talks!"

"You bit-"

He couldn't finish that outburst of course, because I had already disappeared entirely.

All was left there was a fuming Senbonzakura, glaring daggers into the now closed doors.

Letting go of the breath he didn't knew he was holding in, the tall warrior sighed and threw back on his mask.

"Byakuya sure knows how to chose them...", he muttered sarcastically as he turned on his heels and began stomping off, "At least she was sort of cute."

The metal on his body clacked around roughly with every move he made.

"You owe me one, Wakahiru."

…

…

…

A black haired man chuckled, the voice of his long time friend ringing in his mind.

"Thank you Senbonzakura.", he whispered, causing the Sixth Division Taicho, who was sitting beside him to slowly look at him.

Wakahiru meekly smiled back at him and then refocused on the still unconscious figure of his Mistress. He began to exert more of his spiritual energy, through the palms of his hands and into his wielder's shoulder blades.

"Amazing...", Unohana breathed, astonishment laced on the expression on her face, "I've never seen such a technique like this!"

"It is called 'Hyouzaimon'. Only I can do this in the universe."

"What about Hisana-san, can she?"

"She will,", he glanced over at the bearded Captain of the Relief Company, "If she awakes."

"..."

Byakuya looked at the unmoving form of the black haired girl. This man, clad in all white had claimed to be his subordinate's zanpakuto. And immediately afterward, he had her sitting up-and him seated behind her-and began performing some unprecedented healing technique that emanated a dense green reiatsu.

"Will she?", he whispered stupidly, gazing at Sakamoto's closed eyelids.

"..."

Byakuya sighed at the response he did not receive and glared at particularly nothing.

_He was not prepared to lose anyone else._

_So Sakamoto..._

_no, Hisana..._

His hand had naturally found itself holding tightly onto her limp fingers.

"Don't die on me."

Her body flinched. At the contact.

…

…

…

All I saw then was darkness, but somewhere far off or nearby, I could hear murmurs coming from deep and high voices.

One quite deep voice was most prominent to me.

_'Kuchiki Taicho.'_

Kuchiki Taicho...

I felt electricity bolt through my fingers and expand to the rest of my body.

"K-ku..."

Shoot...my voice was so hoarse.

I felt myself being laid back into a hard chest and the tightness in my fingers tightening.

_Mistress Hisana, its time to wake up now._

_'W-Wakahiru.'_

_Mm. He is calling out to you. You should wake up. _

I felt my eyes moving rapidly and crack them open to see the world I thought I would never look at again.

Soul Society...with Shuuhei, Matsumoto, Ikkakku, Yachiru, Ukitake Taicho, Shunsui Taicho, Unohana Taicho, Kuchiki Taicho, Rukia...

and far off the side of Sokyoku Hill was Ichigo looking back at me.

I smiled.

…

…

…

She called out the boy's name. He winced and refrained from rubbing his chest.

"Ichigo...!"

And Byakuya quickly let go of her hands to anywhere else.

Anywhere but her smiling face.

…

…

…

I never realized that the very tight grip on my fingers vanished.

All I could see was Ichigo.

"Mistress Hisana, I will leave now.", a voice muttered beside my ear. I grinned.

"Thank you Wakahiru, for saving me again."

_'For bringing me back to Ichigo.'_

"...Right. That's correct...", his voice was so hesitant.

"I'll talk to you later."

"Yes."

_I'm always going to be by your side Mistress Hisana. I will be your arms and legs. Your power. Your sword._

Wakahiru disappeared from everyone's sight. Leaving Hisana to sit up by herself.

"But I must question the love you feel for Kurosaki Ichigo.", he tall jet black haired spirit sighed.

"Heh. I was just thinking the same thing."

He glanced over to his friend and nodded, "Senbonzakura."

"Hm.", said man nodded and peered up at the sky, "They don't belong together any longer, ever since Aizen killed Sakamoto."

Wakahiru sighed, "Aizen, that snake. Urahara Kisuke and the Visoreds will begin to separately prepare for battle."

"So will the entire Soul Society. The Winter War will be approaching quickly now."

"Yes. Which will also mean that for zanpakuto spirits like us..."

"We will have to prepare for the day of bloodshed to come!"

…

…

…

_Three days later after the departure of Sosuke Aizen, Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tousen..._

Renji and I paced peacefully down the long corridors of the Fourth Division Hospital. While Renji was suited in our usual black shihakusho uniform, I been given a pale blue and pink lotus flower yukata to wear around the Seireitei. Both of our zanpakuto had been taken away by Unohana Taicho for safekeeping, as she saw that "The violent quasi-Captains of the Sixth Division have trouble staying away from injuries".

"We're not violent!", Renji muttered under his breath and scratched his cheek.

"You sort of are, Renji. And pretty reckless as well."

"What about you? Unohana Taicho took _your_ zanpakuto away!", he shouted offensively.

"I was acting in the spur of the moment! You were pretty much knocked out when I arrived at the scene, so I just finished the job with Aizen!"

"Ah! I was _not _knocked out!"

"Yes you were. While everyone else was injured but still wide awake!"

At this point, he began to grow a deep shade of red. It seemed that I had bruised his ego, "Well at least...at least...be quiet!"

"You're blushing. That's so macho of you Renji-chan."

"We'll settle this later, when we've finished making all the repairs."

"Whatever. I won't even be here by then."

He blinked, "What?"

I sighed and shook my head, "Are you sure you should be exerting yourself this much Renji? Those wounds you took were serious."

"I'm fine. But I'm wondering about you and Kuchiki Taicho. You got hit much worse than I did."

"Hm.", I smiled, "Wakahiru healed me completely. And speaking of Taicho,", we both stopped in front of the door at the end of the third floor hallway.

Knock Knock

"...Come in."

For some reason, the two of us blushed when we heard his voice and looked at each other.

"Well? Go open the door."

"_You_ knocked. Not me."

"Ladies first."

"Oh yeah, _now _you decide to be a gentleman!", I harshly whispered.

"But I'm scared!"

"And you think I'm not?"

"...I can hear both of you."

We both jumped at our Captain's voice, and then I pushed a surprised Renji into the large hospital room. The heavy impact of Renji's nearly six feet tall form colliding into the door pushed it open easily, and caused Renji to fall down face first into the tiled floor.

I winced and quietly proceeded to enter the room, and bowed, "Good afternoon Kuchiki Taicho."

"...Good afternoon.", he whispered back, looking me straight in the eye.

I smiled and proceeded to take out a chair to sit on, before Renji beat me to it and left me standing up in the end.

There was something that had to tell both of them, but I didn't say anything after the short salutations we exchanged with each other. My Taicho didn't comment on it either and pretty much ignored me the entire time. I left all the talking to Renji, who became quite serious whenever he spoke to our Taicho. My messages could be passed along to Kuchiki Taicho through Renji's words. Renji made sure there was no silence between the three of us, and I was grateful he agreed to come along with me.

Because I knew that my presence disturbed him in the inside, licking at the flames of his anger.

And I didn't know why, but I could hear my slow but deep heartbeat in my ears when I thought about that.

"...You must be wondering why I am still alive.", he said.

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at him. He was talking to the both of us, but he looked at the porcelain white walls in front of him.

I didn't say anything, and only looked at my crossed hands resting on my lap.

_'No, why am _I_? I bet _that's_ what you're really wondering.'_

"...Not at all.", Renji replied, turning to look to look at the wall like the raven haired man.

"..."

"..."

"Taicho...I-"

"RENJI!"

We all jumped at the new voice and looked disbelievingly at a certain orange haired Shinigami.

I actually jumped and ran at Ichigo, all the while jumping onto the bed my Taicho was resting on.

"Ichigo!", I smiled widely and clasped my hands together.

"Oh, hi Hisana!", he grinned back, "What-"

"Shut up!", Renji headbutted Ichigo, "I was about to say something heartfelt."

"Sorry...", Ichigo muttered out hesitantly.

I giggled and turned to look at Kuchiki Taicho.

He was looking back at me as well, but then quickly looked away.

My heart started beating in my ears again, and for a while, that was all I could hear as I stared at the side of my Taicho's face.

"Kuchiki Taicho?", I whispered.

He turned to look at me quietly and the parted his lips.

"...What is it?"

"...I'm leaving the Sixth Division."

Renji snapped his head around and gave me a disbelieving look.

They all did.

-TBC-

**Okay originally this chapter was supposed to be waaaaay longer and didn't end exactly like so, but I'm so tired and you guys really need to read this really late chapter.**

**I apologize that this chapter was so boring really. I'm really really sorry. GOMEN!**

**My next update will be in around three days. PROMISE PROMISE PROMISE!**

**And please go check out my new stroy, A Red String Under Ten Million Stars, a KenseixOC. But that won't be recieveing much updating because I'm prioritizing The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her first.**

**So, PLEASE REVIEW!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto**


	28. The Feminine Scent of Her Handkerchief

**Ahem ahem...**

**Attention ladies and possibly gentlemen.**

**Madame Tammy Sakamoto has unfortunately died in an accident and therefore has not updated when she said she would. **

**I apologize for this inconvenience.**

…

**Nah! I'm just joking! I'm still alive and well! AND IT'S GOING TO BE THAT WAY FOR A LONG LONG LONG TIME!**

**Anyway, I've been gone for a while because I was taking Japanese for the past week, so yeah. Yes, I'm taking formal Japanese summer school! We just finished this project where each group has to make a manga. I'll scan that into the computer when I get it back. It's a police story! Now we have to perform a Japanese song for the second project (my group is singing Dango Daikozoku or something, from the anime CLANNAD?). Then we have a midterm exam this Friday, so please understand that I have a lot to do. **

**Anyway, please review! This is the next chapter in the Dead Girl installments! **

**-Tammy Sakamoto**

"_I'm leaving the Sixth Division."_

My response was met with silence, although the looks our their faces told me that there was quite a lot of things they wanted to make verbal.

"Y-you...you're _what_?", Renji was the first to recover from the bomb drop I had created (a/n **;**D)

"I'm leaving the Sixth Division.", I repeated

"Okay yeah, I heard that, but why?"

As he grabbed my shoulders and began to shake me back and forth, Byakuya ordered him to stop, sounding awfully tired.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Well...", Ichigo began and scratched his head, "We're sort of finding Rukia, so we'll be going now..."

As Orihime waved at us and jumped away happily, Ichigo threw in, "Hisana, I'll see you later then, alright?"

I smiled nervously and closed the window door behind the two retreating forms, "Bye Ichigo..."

The room was engulfed in silence again, save for the rhythmic tapping of Renji's straw sandals on the tiled floor, demanding that I give him an explanation.

"Well?"

I cringed and shifted around the soft padding of my Taicho's hospital bed. Raising my left right arm, I went around looking for something in the opening of my yukata. Finally, I pulled out a folded sheet of paper and stood, turning to face the two males in the room.

"Kuchiki Taicho, Abarai Fukutaicho.", I began, "I would like to formally resign as Third Seat of the Sixth Division."

Probably the final bow I would ever give to the raven haired man, I lifted the letter out for Byakuya.

And he didn't reach out for it.

In fact, he turned his head to face the window, shutting my letter out. I frowned and turned toward Renji, who had as well crossed his arms and turned to the side to gaze at the rooftops of the Seireitei. I stood there for a while, looking like a fool holding onto a sheet of paper like it decided my fate. Finally, getting frustrated, I stormed toward the bed and grabbed the shorter man's wrist. Even then, when I shoved it into his fingers, he let it fall down to the floor.

My eyebrows knotted together in desperation and I puffed, picking up the letter and slamming it down hard onto his leg.

"As of today, I am no longer the Third Seat of your Company.", I stated and straightened my spine, "Ill take my leave now, in order to not disturb your recovery."

_'To not disturb you in any longer of the pain of your dead wife.'_

Quickly, I retreated to the door and grasped the metal doorknob of his room.

"Hisana...", he began before I could turn the knob, "I demand to know the reason behind your resignation."

I glanced back at the two Shinigami and sighed.

_'I don't want to see you getting so worked up about my existence. Because I know about Hisana-san.'_

_'But how can I really say that to you without injuring that pride of yours?'_

I closed my eye and pinched the bridge of my nose, deepening my frown, "...There's not much of a reason. I'm just tired of everything there."

He looked at me straight in the eye, his violet orbs growing more weary with every second. I could have sworn that I saw him swallow down a snarl.

I didn't mean it like that.

"I didn't mean it like that, not in an offensive way. But it's a decision I think will benefit the Sixth Division wholly."

"...Then may I ask...which Division you will be working under?", he whispered.

I blinked and bit my lip, "Yamamoto Sotaicho discussed that with me earlier this morning. Originally, he had offered me a Captaincy position."

"What?", Renji snapped around and ran up to me, "You're going to be a Captain before I will be?"

"Renji...back away.", Kuchiki Taicho growled, "You're too close for my comfort."

I didn't take that in any way other than that he was trying to relieve me of my discomfort. But Renji had tensed up and muttered out an apology to the raven haired man, acting as if he had committed a great crime.

My ex-Taicho turned back his attention to me, "I...congratulate you on your new position. You will now be working along side me as an equal colleague-"

"Actually, I won't be working with you in any way or form.", I cut in, which was mind you was very gutfull on my part.

"...I don't understand."

"I declined his offer."

"Then exactly _where _are you going to go now?", Renji crossed his arms and asked.

It grew silent. The room was well lit, and I had no doubt that they could see my face slowly becoming a glowing bright red.

"Actually, Ichigo talked to me about his return to the Human World tomorrow. And he asked if I wanted to come back too..."

…

…

…

_The following day..._

I heard a knock on my room door as I woke up from a good night's sleep. It was Renji. He had come to help me with the final packs of luggage I had to put in.

"The Onmitsukido huh?", he thought aloud as he lifted another lacquered box and placed it in a corner.

I smiled, "Yeah. Just a regular Patrol Corps Onmitsukido member."

I heard him sigh from the other side of my room, "Hisana, you were a Third Seat Officer that could use Bankai. Yamamoto Sotaicho even offered you a Captain position. But why would you go and stick with a position outside of the Gotei 13 with no title? I just don't get it!"

I kept silent for a moment and picked up Wakahiru, "...It's because of the responsibilities that _come _with being an unranked Shinigami that made me want this position."

"...What do you mean?"

"The higher your rank in the Seireitei, the more important your job becomes. The lower the rank, the less important the work.", I turned to look at the tall man, "One of my jobs now would be to patrol the Human World for Hollows."

"And by staying in the Human World...", Renji continued for me, "You'll be able to stay with Ichigo."

I gently chuckled and nodded, "You catch on quickly, Renji."

"..."

"Besides, I think it'll be best for our...I mean...your Captain now that I've left.", I added and picked up a new set of modern day clothing, "It's for the best Renji."

As I stepped into the bathroom, Renji sighed and palmed his forehead, "For the best huh? I don't think you really know just how wrong those words are Hisana."

The reply didn't escape my ears, of course, and on the other side of the shoji screen, I closed my eyes.

"What would you know?"

…

…

...

"...So I expect you to be on your best behaviour, now that you are now apart of my division. Understand?"

"Yes.", I bowed down to the short Soi Fon, Captain of my new Company and turned to the Captain Commander.

"I feel it is unjust that I have allowed you to leave your Seat, Sakamoto Hisana.", he began as the short haired girl began to walk off with a black cat, "Perhaps you will reconsider?"

I smiled, "It's fine, Sotaicho. I'm happy where I am right now. Please don't worry about me, or any of the other Ryoka. I'll make sure that Aizen won't get near them."

"You have to take care of yourself as well. You are a target that he has been after for a while now. For the sake of the Soul Society, beware of Aizen and his army of Hollows.", I nodded and bowed, watching as he walked away as well to speak with Ichigo.

Something tapped me on my shoulder and I turned back to see Renji and an indifferent Kuchiki Taicho looking back at me. My feet curled together inside the new pair of running shoes Uryuu made for me.

"Renji. Kuchiki Taicho.", I began, "How are you guys?"

Renji raised an eyebrow, "We're fine. And what about you? You ready to leave for the Human World?"

"Mm. All I really need is Wakahiru here.", I patted my green zanpakuto tied up on my back and nodded.

"Well...it's been fun while it lasted, hasn't it?", the red head sighed and crossed his arms, letting out a playful smirk, "We'll see each other around the place now and then, won't we? Go out and drink and stuff?"

I laughed and scratched my cheek, "Sure we will."

"RENJI!"

"Oh, yeah! I'm coming!", and like so, he waved himself off and ran toward Rukia.

I looked after him and sighed, "I have a very funny feeling that those two are seeing each other."

"If they were,", Byakuya started, "I will not allow it."

"Why not?", I blinked and looked at the taller man, "They grew up with each other, and I don't think there's anyone else that knows Rukia better than Renji. I mean, what if they are different now? You married Hisana-san, right?"

"...", he looked at me right in the eye, and for a small moment, I couldn't tear my gaze away from those solid lilac orbs.

"Kuchiki Taicho?"

"...How did you know about my wife?", he hoarsely whispered out to me.

And...I really swore my heart stopped beating when he said those last words.

What was wrong with me?

"...", my mouth opened, but when nothing came out, I sealed my lips and nodded, looking to the side.

"If, for all of this time, I came across as a merciless man who enjoyed using his spare time to attack you, I deeply apologize.", he stepped forward a little, "I...it was a very difficult term for me to come to when I realized that you had her name."

Oh no...why was my heart beating so intensely then? "Oh no, it's alright. I understand."

I leaned back, just the slightest bit.

"I would have never had acted in such a way if I was thinking clearly."

"No...it's really fine with me now."

So don't apologize to me...

"Can you forgive me?", he said that right above the crown of my head.

"O-of course!", I jumped back and looked at him, "Taicho, you don't have to apologize or ask for my forgiveness! You've done a lot for me! Some things I could never repay you even in the spirit life! So...", I looked to the side and bowed to him, "I'll be leaving now!"

"..."

I didn't say anything to anyone else after that, and stayed beside Ichigo's side the entire time from then on.

Sometimes, I would sneak a glance toward the raven haired man, my chest feeling heavy every moment my brown eyes lingered there a little while longer. And when I managed to pull my gaze away from my now ex-Captain, I looked up at the boyfriend I left behind all those years ago. A boyfriend that I should be proud of and love deeply.

'Ichigo is my first love. And your first love is your true love. Your first love is your true love.'

And I was thrilled to be given this second chance again at life. Really I was. But something was pulling me back here to the Seireitei, somewhere in the Sixth Division.

Oh, please...don't do this to me now!

"Hisana...?", a soft voice whispered in my ears. I blinked and looked up at a pair of soft chocolate eyes.

Yes...those were the eyes that I can spend the rest of my life looking at...

I blushed and looked down, slapping myself for thinking so far ahead in the future, while fumbling with the hem of my skirt. Ichigo gave a gentle snort and took my fingers in his hands, and I couldn't help but look up at him questionably.

"You ready to go?"

Though somewhere in my heart it seemed as thought the answer I was going to give was not absolute, I smiled and bobbed my head happily and squeezed his slightly larger fingers.

And with that, we all went running into the Sekaimon, Ichigo pulling at my hand the entire time.

_Dear Hisana-san,_

_Maybe things will be alright from now on. _

_What do you think?_

…

…

…

After the departure of the Kurosaki Ichigo and his other Ryoka friends, he left quickly for the Sixth Division compound and walked through the corridors that housed all of his Shinigami subordinates, which would have acted as a shortcut to the offices of the quasi-Captains.

He would submerge himself in all of the work that had piled up over the last few days for himself, his Lieutenant, and his third Seat that was no longer his Third Seat.

Yamamoto Sotaicho wasted no time in replacing the now vacant position in his Company. Byakuya would be greeting a new Third Seat Officer after noon, when they had finished settling themselves into her old room.

Paperwork was the only thing he could do at the moment that would not require any outside interference of his personal thoughts. As he walked past a particularly empty room on the second floor, the twenty-eight head of the Kuchiki Family could not help but walk into the room that used to be _her _sleeping quarters.

'...I may as well see how she kept the place while she was here.'

As he slid open the shoji paper screen, he was reminded of the night when he saw her in the purple yukata that looked like the shade of his eyes, sitting at her makeup stand. He exhaled sharply in what he defined as a dignified snort and remembered when he was greeted with the sight of her messy makeup. It was a sight that only some of the ones she knew the best in the Seireitei would ever see.

So who did she hold closer to her heart, the orange haired boy or himself?

Sliding the shoji screen closed and turning around, he was assaulted with his former Third Seat's feminine scent. He looked around at the neat and cleaned corners of the moderate sized room, and was impressed by how she had managed to keep the room so new and undamaged. It was, after all, a rare sight for her to have been on the training fields.

His socked feet guided himself over to the short makeup stand, and he sat down, looking at his yellow reflection. It wasn't the best mirror, by far with what he had seen in the Human World. But it managed to give his subordinate a good reflection of herself. He pulled at the little drawers underneath the table top, now all empty of her belongings. But he knew that she used to enjoy cosmetics, more so than many of the other female Shinigami in the Soul Society, even more so than Matsumoto Rangiku and many of the women in noble families.

'She didn't wear it often, but it was only because her supply was limited.', and he turned his gaze to the side,

greeted with an unfolded futon.

Byakuya placed a hand atop the soft cushioning of her discarded bed and leaned forward. The other hand, and then he placed a knee on top of the purple blanket.

He had only meant to feel how soft the futon was (to see if she was given a decent place to sleep on, of course), but he found his face pressed into the Western style pillow at the head of the futon.

'She smelled distinctively of a sweet pure water...'

His eyes opened briefly when he sensed a Captain's reiatsu enter the bedroom. But knowing who it was, he did not worry how he looked...at the moment.

"Byakuya?", Juushiro crouched down beside the younger Taicho.

"Usually when you call me by my first name...I should expect that you will treat me like a naïve younger version of myself."

The white haired man chuckled and patted his head, "You are acting like the boy Byakuya I knew one hundred years ago."

"..."

"I saw your reaction back at Sokyoku Hill when she awoke from her death experience...when she first called out Ichigo-kun's name."

"...I don't care what she does."

Though a moment of unspoken silence, the raven haired Taicho heard the soft rustling of fabric from Ukitake. He turned his cushioned head to the side, and was greeted with the sight of a soft handkerchief in the Juusanban Taicho's left hand.

"It's hers. She dropped it when she ran off into the Sekaimon."

Instinctively, Byakuya drew up a hand to take hold of the white silk in his own hands. There was an embroidered pink lotus flower on one of the corners, two hills for the background.

'Saka...for hill and...lotus for Wakahiru.'

Time ticked by quite quickly, as at the next blink of an eye, Byakuya saw that he was all alone in the bedroom.

The raven haired Taicho grasped the handkerchief that, to Ukitake's claim smelled like his Third Seat Officer, and stood up. Folding the cloth carefully and gingerly placing it into the opening of his hakama, he walked out of the room.

…

…

…

"Hisana...", he whispered and rand a hand through my longer and darker hair.

"...Mm...", I whimpered and pressed myself closer to his built body.

"...Hi...s-sa...n-na...", he continued saying against my lips, pulling my hand to cup his face.

"Ichigo..."

"..."

A few more quick but deep pecks on his lips, and I pulled away. Taking the chance, he rolled us over, so that now he hovered over my smaller form on his bed. He rubbed circles on my upper thigh, where the skirt I was wearing would have covered the flesh there, were it not lifted up to show my underwear.

I began tugging on his shirt. Ichigo sat up to pull it off.

Our lips moved sensually against each others once more.

…

…

…

"You there.", Byakuya called out. The navy blue haired boy, that was often found with Hisana stopped what he was doing and walking briskly over to the Rokuban Taicho.

"Yes, sir?"

"You name is Hyoe, correct? You interviewed her at the Shino Academy and helped her in esaping the detention quarters during the recent invasion?"

"Y-yes..."

Byakuya paid no attention to the tensed up figure of the younger new coming Shinigami, "I will need a favour from you."

"Whatever it is sir...I will happily complete it."

"That is good to hear.", he nodded and continued, "Find out what room where Sakamoto Hisana will be living in at the Second Division. Using this,", the raven haired man handed him a Kuchiki Family crest, allowing any manual labor job requested by the noble families to be completed within the Seireitei, "make sure that her new room will have a proper makeup stand beside her bed. With a proper modern day human World mirror. Especially that mirror."

"Yes."

"Good. Go now."

Like so, Kuchiki Byakuya continued, now with motivation, with the piles of paperwork he had to do as the Sixth Division Taicho.

-TBC-

**SO! The little smut thing you saw near the end with Ichigo and Hisana...can be thought of as a lime or whatever. You can imagine that she did it with him or not. The story works either way. Byakuya ain't a virgin either.**

**The basic point of the ending here is to show that while Hisana romantically spends her time with Ichigo, Byakuya is thinking of her and...I don't know...trying to make her happy or woo her? Don't ask me, **_**I'm**_** not Byakuya! LOL So yes, at the moment, given the Hisana has the choice, she chooses Ichigo over Byakuya, though she has begun to develop a small affection for our Sixth Division Captain. The same with Byakuya. Well...he actually starting changing the light he saw her in when he saw that she died...but you get the point. Hopefully. **

**Okay, I know that Byakuya is totally out of character here, but please cope with me. He'll stay in character from now on. You know the expression, "Love changes a man." Or WHATEVER it is!**

**Anyway, as I was taught by my friend, when I say CanonxOC, I was totally wrong. So please forgive me for that mistake! The Dead Girl That [finally] Made Me Love Her is an original character x actual Bleach character fanfic!**

**So PLEASE REVIEW!**


	29. Tanojo Wa Doko Da Ka?

**Minna-san! Shizukani shite kudasai! **

**Konban wa! Watashi no namae wa Tami desu. Yoroshiku. Watashi wa juuroku sai desu. Watashi wa koko san-nensei desu. Myoujin wa Sakamoto desu. Watashi Toronto ni sunde imasu. Okuni wa Chuugoko to Vetonamu desu. Nihongo wa yasashiku te omoshiroi desu. Piza ga suki de! Oishii kara karai desu. **

**Eeto...o-namae wa? Nan sai desu ka. Nan nen-sei desu ka. Okuni wa doko desuka. Doko ni sun de imaska. Denwa bangou wa nan ban desuka.**

**Aa! Kore wa 'The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her' desu!**

**Ja, mata! **

**Haha, I've learned around that much of Japanese for the last one and two days. **

**Anyway...this IS the next chapter of my Byakuya fanfic. So...**

**Please review!**

**-Tammy 9+Sakamoto**

**PS. Byakuyakun...daisuki desu!**

My happy endings never lasted for long.

They never did, and they never will.

Around two three weeks after my departure from the Seireitei, we were attacked by two Hollows sent by Aizen to gather information on Ichigo. Chad lost his arm. Orihime was nearly beaten to death. And a handful of humans were killed by the larger Espada's soul suck.

Something happened at the high school as well, though Ichigo never told me anything about it.

I was already aware that there was some sort of Hollow spirit manifesting itself within Ichigo. But with with our encounter with the two almost Shinigami-like Hollows, it became much more apparent to me that Ichigo was slowly losing himself to the darkness. It sounded corny, but it was factual.

And I could do nothing but request for backup from the Soul Society.

And then came a new hoard of Arrancar one night.

"Wakahiru!"

CLASH!

"Feh!", the blue haired Hollow chuckled from the other side of our blades, "That's all you got? And you were making such a big boast just now!"

I sneered at the tall male and struggled against his powerfully built figure, "Why are you even here? Did Aizen tell you to go do his dirty work?"

He scrunched his nose and leaned forward, close enough that I could feel his cold breath on my forehead.

"That's right. And you're first on the hit list, bitch."

My eyes widened when he flexed his arm muscles and pushed me away, sending me stammering backward until I was able to catch my foot by coming to a skidding halt.

In a blink of an eye, he disappeared from my line of sight.

".."

"Hey, soul reaper."

"!"

"You're Shinigami uniform shows a lot of your skin. That's not pretty smart."

SHHAA!

"Gah!", I hollered and grabbed at my backside as the blue haired Espada's claws tore through my flesh, digging up deep and long into my back.

"See? I told you. It gives me a lot of space to easily tear into your skin.", I cackled and dug his hand into the deep pockets of his white hakama.

"Heh.", I gasped and pointed Wakahiru into the air, "Bankai!"

BOOM!

"...Getsuei ken Wakahiru!"

I glared from across the field as he flicked away some of the rumble and dust that flew his way from the blow of wind.

"..."

"..."

SHWIP!

"You shouldn't really be the one mocking me and my choice of clothing.", I whispered into his ear as I slammed his Bankai into his back, "I should return the favour, though."

"...", I drilled holes into the back of his head as he recovered from my shunpo.

At first, he just kept still, looking forward and confusing me. Until he suddenly snapped back his head and gave me an ear splitting smirk.

"Huh?", he growled.

Before I knew what was going on, he tore through the skin on my arms and legs from what speed I didn't know. He even managed to sneak up behind me and grabbed the back of my neck.

"Maybe I should just cut you up into little shreds of Shinigami meat.", he cackled into my ear and bruised my neck.

"...You're fast...", I mumbled and glared to the side.

"Thanks. You're pretty slow. And weak. You actually think that flimsy zanpakuto of yours would cut through my thick as iron skin? Feh!"

I tried kicking my leg backward, hoping to knock out a few of his legs, but he caught it in time and threw me over his shoulder. I slammed into the concrete rooftop of a building underneath us and flipped over onto my front, wincing as some of the rumble sank into the ripped flesh of my back.

A covered foot stepped on my right hand as the Espada crouched beside me. He sheathed self proclaimed zanpakuto, using his free hand to pull something out of his pocket.

"W-what are you...", I glared up at him without shifting my head that had suddenly gotten much heavier.

"Giving you a little present.", he smirked and hovered his previously pocketed fist over my back. He was holding something.

"..."

He made contact with the top of my spine, the blue haired man grinned, "Courtesy of Aizen's partner in crime."

"Partner? Who're y-"

Szzzzzzzzz...

"**KYA!"**

His closed fist loosened and slowly trailed over my opened wound upon my back. He was scattering something into it. And it stung. It stung by a lot.

"Hm...", he muttered over my screams, "You've got really soft and smooth skin. So creamy too."

As he rubbed some of the dusty substance into the cuts on my arms, I shook and howled bloody murderer.

"I like soft skin. But I like your pained cries better. Makes me want to punch holes into your chest!", he hollered and ground his feet, my hand underneath his feet, into the rough cement.

I didn't even feel that pain. All I could focus on was the searing pain as it spread over the rest of my body from the infected cuts. Wakahiru was still in my hands, but I couldn't find the energy in me to even lift up my _head, _much less my fingers...

"H-hado...", I mumbled. Before anything else though, the Espada began charging up a cero.

"Hisana!", a voice belonging to Ichigo erupted from above us, making the white cloaked man jump away from me. "Getsuga Tensho!"

"I-Ichigo...", I whispered and relaxed a little when Ichigo's attack hit the Espada dead on in the chest.

"Hisana!", he crouched down beside me and lifted me up, "You're loosing a lot of blood."

He flash stepped and landed me down on another roof a yard away, "Can you ask Wakahiru to heal those wounds for you?"

I smiled and nodded, lifting my fingers up to touch his jawbone, "Thank you."

He stared at me hard in the eye, "He did this to you, didn't he? Don't worry."

And like that, he disappeared to fight the Espada again. I sighed and slumped against the building's chimney.

"I hope he'll be fine...", I prayed and looked down at my zanpakuto, "Wakahiru?"

He materialized before me quickly after my call, and crouched beside me, "Yes, Mistress?"

"Are you able to heal my wounds like last time?"

"..."

He looked at me square in the eyes and sat me so that my back faced his front, "..."

"...Wakahiru?"

"...Yes?"

"Can you heal me?"

"..."

"...Can you?"

"...No, Mistress Hisana. I cannot heal you."

…

…

…

I sat up on Ichigo's bed one morning, three days after the incident, the owner of the bed lying face first into the pillow beside me.

"Ichigo...you've got to stop being like this.", I shook his shoulders and attempted to make him get out of his sulking.

"...Aw...I'm fine.", he huffed and sat up beside me, but he never showed me his face.

I sighed and rested my forehead on his back, snuggling into his warmth and the blankets, "You've got a problem with your Hollow self. I don't need you to even tell me. I know it."

"..."

I stood up from the bed and opened up his closet, greeted by a Rukia eavesdropping into our conversation. She looked up at me and showed me the same frustration I felt on my face.

"Hisana-san."

"Maybe you can get through to him.", I smiled and moved out of her way as I pulled out his school uniform.

She sighed, "Ichigo!"

The next few moments included me and Rukia shoving the Karakura High School uniform on the orange haired teen and his screaming, and ended with Rukia pulling Ichigo out through the window with her.

I lightly laughed and wished the two of them a fun day at school before sliding close the window.

And then immediately doubled over in pain.

"Sh...", I husked out.

"_No, Mistress Hisana. I cannot heal you."_

_I snapped my head back and stared disbelievingly at him, "What do you mean? You've healed me before! You even brought me back from death-"_

"_That's different, milady. It is true that I can heal your wounds."_

"_...Then why can't you do that now?"_

"_It is true that I healed everything. And I still can now.", he looked at the deep and long cut on my back, "But only to the extend of physical wounds."_

"_I don't understand...", I frowned, "These _are_ physical."_

"_When I say physical, I mean bruises, cuts, holes, tears and the such.", then he began shaking his head, "Burns and chemical decompositions, I am unable to fix."_

_I blinked and pulled my sweaty eyebrows together, "...You're saying that you can heal the cuts I received. But the thing that that Espada put in me..."_

"_That was poison, milady." _

Never in my life would I imagine myself being poisoned. Shinigami didn't use poison; we relied on our physical reiatsu. The same thing could usually be said about most Hollows as well.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaques..."I glared holes into the wall and fell onto the bed, praying to myself that the pain would magically go away...

…

…

…

I haven't seen Ichigo for nearly a month now. I couldn't track him down with my sense either. Neither could Rukia.

Now, I would spend the entire days in his room, pacing around and walking out the pain.

_'Mistress Hisana. You need too tell someone about this.'_

_No. We've got too much to worry about right now. With the Winter War and Ichigo missing and the Espada showing up..._

I winced and threw myself into the bed.

_'You will die if this continues.'_

_I'm fine!_

I wasn't.

The room began swimming around, everything was spinning. My head was pounding, blood rushed into my ears. I broke out into a cold sweat, my body undulating.

"Ah...", I whined and fisted the back of Ichigo's shirt I was wearing. I was gasping for a proper inhalation by now.

Then, it was all coming up my throat. I coughed up blood and stained the wood of Ichigo's floor.

_'Mistress!'_

"I'm...", I wheezed and squeezed my eyes shut, "Curse you Grimmjow..."

…

…

…

That night, I thought I heard someone open up the window. I shot up from my fetal position on the unmade bed and wiped the sweat off of my forehead.

"Ichigo!", I cracked a weak smile and wiped the sweat off of my forehead, "Where-"

They forced out my soul from the Gigai from body. My Shinigami form rolled off the bed and hit the floor hard, wet and dry blood stained the smooth wood. The Gigai laid limp on the bed with nothing occupying it.

"Onmitsukido Sakamoto Hisana.", one of the two tall Shinigami called out.

"What?", I growled, "That is an inappropriate way to deal with a-"

Before I could finish my sentence, they grabbed my arms and flew out the window.

"We have been ordered by The Captain Commander to bring you back to the Seireitei."

"...Fine...", I growled.

…

…

…

"And all five of me would fall in love with the same guy...

Thank you Ichigo... Goodbye."

…

…

…

"Huh?"

"Good Ichigo. You're up. Come with us. We've got a situation."

…

…

…

"Where's Orihime?", Ichigo shouted to the screen, "What do you mean you were the last one to see her?"

"We are confident to believe that Inoue Orihime has been captured...

...and possibly killed."

…

…

…

"Orihime's my friend. I'll go and save her myself."

"You may not."

"Captain Commander!"

"You will be needed in the upcoming Winter War. You may not foolishly risk your life in order to save one single human girl."

"Sotaicho, I understand where you are coming from, but Orihime is needed-"

"None of you will resist my orders."

"I'm sorry sir, but I cannot follow your orders."

"As expect. Fortunately I took the proper precautions. You are all to come back to the Soul Society immediately, escorted by two Captains."

"!"

"!"

"Zaraki Taicho!"

"Kuchiki Taicho!"

"Nii-sama!"

"Byakuya..."

"As for you, Kurosaki Ichigo, you are to remain in Karakura Town until further orders from the Seireitei."

"..."

"I'm sorry Ichigo.", Rukia whispered.

Before any of them went through the shoji gates and before Ukitake or the Captain Commander disconnected, the raven haired man spoke out.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

Said teenager looked up at the Sixth Division Captain, "What?"

"...Where is Hisana?"

The orange haired boy blinked and looked up at him, "I...don't know. I haven't seen her since I began training."

"..."

"...I thought she came back to the Seireitei."

"Don't be foolish. Hisana leaving you behind?"

"Nii-sama...what are you saying?"

"Have none of you have any idea where she is?"

…

"...What are you..."

The Captain Commander spoke, "She has not been ordered by me to come back to the Soul Society."

"So then where is she?", Ichigo looked at everyone in the room.

Hitsugaya spoke up, "Is it possible that...the Espada that captured Inoue took off with Sakamoto as well?"

Byakuya looked hard at the orange haired Substitute Shinigami, "Hmph. We shall leave."

"Kuchiki Taicho!", Renji called out, "What about Hisa-"

"Silence. Our job is to retrieve the Hitsugaya Team. She was never apart of it. It is not of my concern."

The shoji doors closed behind the last of the Shinigami, leaving a confused Ichigo staring hopelessly into the wall.

From the screen, the Sotaicho whispered into Ukitake's ear.

"Report to the others that Sakamoto Hisana has been confirmed by me to me missing."

"...This is not looking too well for us."

_'It is none of your concern huh Byakuya?', _Ukitake thought to himself.

_'Who are you trying to fool?'_

…

…

…

"Hey!", I yelped as the taller of the two pulled at my arms, "I though you said that the Captain Commander ordered me back!"

"..."

"Answer me!"

"...We will answer to no one other than our Lord."

"I struggled as much as I could with the poison still running through my veins. If I wasn't a Shinigami, I would have been dead long ago.

They halted in front of a large red door, still holding onto my arms in a vice grip. As if on cue, those same doors opened. I was greeted by the sight of a large castle like garden and a grand building behind all of it.

I've never been to this part of the Seireitei before.

"Where are...", I whispered.

"Hisana...it has been a while since I have seen you.", a voice called from behind one of the largest trees.

I became alert and struggled with the two tall men, who straightened up and looked at the approaching figure.

As for me, my poison infested body was unable to make out the face of the man coming toward us until he was standing two feet in front of me. And when I saw his face, my eyes widened.

My cold sweat was coming back.

"You...", my eyes widened and I shuddered.

"Yes.", his messy navy blue hair gleamed in the dull sunlight, "So you remember me. The last we met was when you helped Rukia-san play her koto at the Kuchiki manor."

"_Wait Miss! I've never really got to learn your name."_

"_...Oh...it's Sakamoto Hisana."_

"_Sakamoto Hisana, Hisana-chan, is that all right?"_

_I nodded and smiled, "I'll get going now."_

"_Wait!", I turned back around again, a bit curious why this man was so talkative, "Are you not interested in knowing my name?"_

_I blinked and smiled wider, "May I get your name?"_

"_I'm from the Hime estate, Manaka."_

_I giggled, "Manaka Hime?"_

"_I prefer you call be by Manaka...it's weird being called 'Princess' as a guy...", he laughed._

"_I used to know a boy that had one of the most unusual names out there too."_

"_Really? Who?"_

_I shook my head, "It doesn't matter much. You wouldn't know him anyway."_

_With that, I just bowed and continued walking, while he I heard him shout, "I'll see you around Hisana-chan!". Wanting to go back to the office, I lifted my arm to signify I heard him and speed off._

"_Sir?", Manaka's servant asked._

"_I want to you find out more about Sakamoto Hisana.", he looked at the old man, and looked at her quickly retrieving figure, "Hisana..."_

"What are you doing?", I asked him as he raised one thin arm up to the side of his face. Responsively, the two Shinigami who took me back to the Seireitei released me and bowed to the dirt ground. And without the support, I faltered and fell forward.

I didn't know if it was something you could call fortunate or unfortunate, but Hime Manaka, the sick son of one of the four noble families caught me. The next thing I knew, I was pressed against his body.

"Don't worry, Hisana. Kurosaki Ichigo doesn't know where you are. The Captain Commander doesn't either. Not even Kuchiki Byakuya is aware you are back in the Soul Society and in the Hime estate."

"...You...set this up?", I looked up at him and shook in his arms.

"Yes.", he grinned, "Is the poison wearing you out too much?"

"How do you know that I'm poisoned-", my eyes widened further as I recalled the blue haired Espada's words.

"_Courtesy of Aizen's partner in crime."_

"You!", I shouted and struggled in his grasp.

It was a futile attempt. I found myself knocked out and slumped against his frame.

Without my knowing, the entire family of the Hime household came out from the castle like home they occupied and looked and their sickly heir.

Said heir, smiled and took in the scent of the female clad in her revealing Onmitsukido uniform.

…

…

…

"Don't worry Hisana. No ones knows that you are here with me.", he kissed the side of her forehead.

"_No one."_

-TBC-

**Man I am tired. Sorry if this got really lame in the end! But here is the next installment in **_**The Dead Girl That made Me Love Her.**_

**I know that the revealing Onmitsukido outfit is only worn by the head of the Onmitsukido force, which is Soi Fon (and Yoruichi still wears it), but because at the moment Soi Fon and Hisana are the only ones who knows how to use Bankai, she was given the right to wear it. **

**Anyway, please review and thanks for continuing to read my fanfic! Heads up for a Grimmjow OC! It'll be my best work as of late! Guaranteed!**

**Please review! **

**-Tammy Sakamoto**


	30. Enter the Hapless Heroine: Ni Ban

**Hi everyone! This is Tammy Sakamoto, coming in with news of my recent hiatus!**

**I would just like to tell you that I'm in my very final years of high school, and I AM experiencing much more stress than my fellow peers in school. **

**I don't know if it's just how I see it or whatnot, but everyone seems to have a specific career path they want to go into, while all I know is that I am really detesting Data Management and an really weary when it comes to Chemistry. It's not that I don't like it, but the things that we learn now is really not exciting me. I love the ideas of applying Chemistry into human biology, but our school doesn't seem to have much of that.**

**I'm considering a career in health care, because that's all I can see myself in, but will I be able to succeed? Will I be able to apply the effort required? Will I even like the program I go into in University? These are actually very big questions to think about, when you actually understand what I'm going through. **

**Pharmacy? Childbirth? Nursing? Midwifery? Grades? Prerequisites? I found myself actually CRYING over things like these. And the whole fact of leaving home and going to another city to study. Sigh...**

**But I would just like to tell you guys, that I'm not experiencing any writer's block, and I know exactly where The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her is going to be in the future. I assure you that when I get settled into my courses and catching up with my Chemistry class, Byakuya's story will be up and running again! **

**Please understand. My family and my mother (who I don't want to leave and disappoint) is counting on me. And that's really stressing me out as well...**

**So for now, please forgive this horrible person and read this skit I quickly made before diving into my Advanced Functions homework.**

Byakuya: Hmph.

Hisana: What is it Kuchiki Taicho?

Byakuya: I find a certain someone to be very pitiful.

Hisana: You mean Madame Tammy?

Byakuya: ...Of course. Why must one shed tears due to frustration and stress? It is only the beginning of her final year and already she is feeling the pressure?

Hisana:...Well...it's her FINAL year. Things matter now. It's not just going through high school, it's deciding what you want to be as an adult.

Byakuya: Part of becoming an adult is learning how to be mature. Crying is not mature.

Hisana: Yeah, but she's not a kid anymore...she's...wait, what am I saying? You're confusing me Kuchiki Taicho!

Byakuya:...

Hisana: Anyway, I don't think you would understand because you were already destined to be the head of the Kuchiki Family and the Captain of the Sixth Division. You wouldn't understand what Madaame Tammy must go through.

Byakuya: What are you saying?

Hisana: I'm saying that all you need to worry about is martial arts and all that magical powers of Soul Reapers, while real human beings need to worry about scientific and mathematical academics in order to survive in the Human World. Ichigo's got it much harder than you.

Byakuya: Are you implying that I am incapable of doing what Kurosaki Ichigo can do?

Hisana:...Umm...anyway, please enjoy the preview of Madame Tammy's next installment of The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her! I've been kidnapped! And no one knows who has done it! Where can I be? And what does the noble families have to do with my abduction? Stay tuned!

…

…

...

_Kuchiki Manor_

"..."

_She's missing..._

"Kurosaki Ichigo...", the twenty-eight head of the Kuchiki household spoke to himself and flung the calligraphy brush across his work room.

He sighed, closing his eyes and held in his pulsing anger. He stood up and marched out of his work office and into his sleeping quarters, attached to the previous room by a sliding shoji door in the wall.

…

…

…

Hisana: And Madame Tammy would like to thank every one who has contributed to the 200+ reviews The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her! Arigatou gozaimashita!

Byakuya: It is quite an accomplishment for someone like Sakamoto Tammy, who has never pushed herself through her online stories.

Hisana: And for those wondering about Grimmjow's story, named My Everything Is You, please stay tuned for the first chapter, as that is actually nearly completely polished and ready to publish online! Madame Tammy says that it may be her best story so far! Wait what? The Dead Girl That made me Lover Her should be the best story she has! Kuchiki Taicho! What are we going to do?

Byakuya: Simple. Only I can be the best. I shall never allow some low life Hollows to dominate over an upperclassman like me.

Grimmjow: Feh!

Hisana: Gasp! Grimmjow! What are you doing here?

Grimmjow: What do you think? To gloat! Look at that pathetic preview! She looks like she didn't even bother COMPLETING it!

Hisana: That's not true! Go back to where you belong! You're story is completely AU! You aren't supposed to even exist here!

Grimmjow: Whatever, bitch.

Hisana: You! I'm not a bitch!

Grimmjow: You can go suck my cock.

Hisana: !

Byakuya: Scatter, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.

Grimmjow: Bring it on, you limp dickhead!

Hisana: Wait! Taicho! I'm in the line of fire! Wakahiru!

Grimmjow: Grind! Panthera!

Byakuya: Throat scene.

Hisana: Pale Jade Palm!

Grimmjow: Des- oh shit! I have no powers in the AU!

Beeeeeeeeeeeep

Due to unforeseeable events and outside Dead Girl interferace, the second character sitcom of The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her will end earlier than normal. We apologize for any inconvenience.

**To be honest, that's all I got so far because I began my slump afterward. What would you guys be? A Pharmacist or a nurse or a childbirth doctor?**

**Please Review! Even if this isn't a legitimate chapter! And please keep supporting this lone warrior! **

**Mata ashita!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto**


	31. Puppet Hisana

**Byakuya's fight with the Tsukishima dude inspired me to right this chapter, even though I'm supposed to be studying for a math test or a biology quiz. But whatever. I've prepared for math since last week and Biology is pretty much a breeze for me. **

**Byakuya's fight is getting me so pissed off1 How come Byakuya is so crappy against Tsukishima when everyone else is kicking butt? Byakuya, you are an idiot! Ichiban baka! Kanpeki na baka! Juusan Gotei no baka Taicho! (Number one idiot! Perfect idiot! Gotei 13's idiot Captain!)**

**Sigh...kanashii desuyo...(sigh...it is sad...)**

**Anyway, please review! **

**-Tammy Sakamoto **

**DISCLAIMER:...I don't own bleach or any of its characters. Done. **

_Kuchiki Manor_

"..."

_She's missing..._

"Kurosaki Ichigo...", the twenty-eight head of the Kuchiki household spoke to himself and flung the calligraphy brush across his work room.

He sighed, closed his eyes and held in his pulsing anger. He stood up and marched out of his work office and into his sleeping quarters, attached to the previous room my a sliding shoji door in the wall.

Within his sleeping quarters still, stands another elaborately decorated door, this time made of fine wood and easily touched the high ceiling. The raven haired captain reached out for the door handles, and pushed it open.

Byakuya followed down the short hallway he found his feet guiding him along for years, to the place that he was the most happiest in the past five decades.

His darkened days were exposed to the sight of a large office, which fifty years ago served as his sleeping quarters with a certain woman.

Then, there had been elaborate furniture that ornamented every corner of the room. Now, all its past decorations have been moved out and placed within a locked storage room deep within the vicinity of the Kuchiki mansion. The room was striped bare soon after the death of his most beloved wife. The entire space was empty as he stepped into the room.

Save for a pedestal that idly stood against the opposite wall of the door.

His feet softly patted across the polished wooding of the floor until he stood directly in front of the sole piece of colour in the bare room.

"Hisana,", he began, "I seem to be quite troubled lately."

He imagined the gentle hands of a female that would rest on his shoulders at these moments.

He could only think fondly in the past now though.

Byakuya exhaled sharply, and reached for the stack of Chinese incense beside his wife's portrait, "My troubles stem from a certain Shinigami female by the name of Sakamoto Hisana."

He blew the small flame out, leaving in its place three burning incense sticks.

"She shares your name, you know.", he chuckled, "But of course you would know that. You've always been a clever woman."

…

"She's quite clever herself, that Third Seat of mine."

And he realized his mistake then and there.

"What am I saying?", he slowly blinked and looked at the pale figure in the photo, "I am wrong. She no longer takes direct orders from me. She resigned from my company to work under Feng."

His anger flared up again, "That's right...she gave up her seat in order to work in the human world, with Kurosaki Ichigo. And then what happens? His incompetence leads to her disappearance."

"Kurosaki Ichigo...", came his low and restrained growl, "You fool."

He'd imagine the soft hands gently massaging the tense muscles on his shoulders. But they weren't there.

"And now it seems that I must take this dilemma and resolve it by myself."

One final look at his wife before he closed his eyes.

"They believe that she is being held in Hueco Mundo", opening his eyes, " I will venture there."

"I'll leave now...

...Hisana."

But who was he responding too?

…

…

…

"Argh!"

"Hold still, Hisana-san.", the old female cooed as she pulled the bangles onto my wrists, "You are nearly presentable to our young master...!"

"Release my arms right now!", I shouted, and pulled at the cloth wrapped tightly on my forearms and elbows, "You're mad! All of you within this noble house are!"

She looked at me straight in the eyes, and though I had insulted her, the soft smile still played on her face. It was a terrifying and eery feeling that ran up my spine, "My child. We serve and live for the men of the Hime house. We will heed by their orders no matter what. Until the end of time."

I shook my head slowly, left to right, "I can't stay here. Let me-!"

_'No.'_, I winced and shuddered as the effects of the poison wore me down. The view of the old woman, and of the adult man standing behind her began to go out of focus. The blood in my body beat loudly in my ears, my chest constricted.

Soon, I found myself being let free from the long straps of silk that tied me in place, but the weight of my limbs-which felt like lead-dragged across the wooden tiles of the large room.

I was being pulled by my arms down a long corridor, even longer than the one found in the Kuchiki household.

"Kuchiki Taicho...I really hope that you and everyone else have realized what's going on here...", I whispered, before gasping and choking up blood.

…

…

…

He stood along side Hanataro Yamada, a seated officer of the Fourth Division. Said Division's Captain and the Taicho of two other Companies ran before him into the opened portal leading to the land where Hollow's rested.

"..."

Byakuya said nothing as he ran straight ahead of him, not to turn around and look back at the buildings of the Seireitei.

…

…

…

"You...", I clenched my teeth as I was carried into the main ceremony hall and past the row of bowing servants aligning the sides of the room.

I heard the young navy haired heir speak, as if he was addressing to no one in particular, but talking because he felt like so.

"The Hime blood is of the oldest lineage within the Seireitei. It dates back many millennium before the Sotaicho of Gotei 13 even existed.

Hime has been the oldest-and the most powerful-of all the families that held any name for themselves within the Soul Society. They had the honour, the riches, the skill, and the authority equivalent of the product of many times the combined strength of Sotaicho himself.

…

We had though one fault that would be the cause of our current lowly position within the Seireitei."

I stared at him wearily as the old woman and man seated me against his thin frame. He turned away from the front of the room-where rows and rows and rows of tablets with decrypted names beginning with Hime rested on-to look down at me.

The same smile as the old woman.

"You look very beautiful Hisana-san."

I was a Shinigami now and have been for the last eight years. But I've spent most of upbringing years in the Harajuku district of present day Tokyo.

Of course, I've had many fantasies of prince charming, like any other modern day urban teenager. I have dreams of how I'd like my happily ever after to be like, how my true love and I will live together forever. I even went the extra mile to plan out what would happen when that day comes.

But never in my life would I expect myself to be in such a situation like this.

A traditional feudal Japan marriage ceremony?

Me as the bride?

And at the age of fifteen, no less?

Ew.

No.

I can't let this happen.

He held me against his side as I struggled feebly, "You're mad..."

"You have always interested me, Hisana-san.", the navy haired man smiled and nuzzled my decorated hair, "Why don't I finish the story of our family?"

"..."

"As I was saying before I became shamelessly distracted, the Hime clan had a fault. It came in the form of a ritual we partake in every 50 years.

Every five decades, a man from the Hime family would marry. It was the only time that such a special occasion would take place. In order to keep the Hime blood pure and concentrated with only the blood of Hime full breeds, the Hime male would marry relative of his, in other words, a Hime female."

"..."

"This custom we followed , along with the additional fact that only one single marriage was permitted take place every fifty years, kept the Hime population very small. But so long as offspring were produced and we kept a balance of the male to female ratio within our clan, we would ensure our survival."

"But...", I managed to wheeze out, "The Hime family is male dominated. There hardly exists any females..."

He sighed, the smell of bad medicine light on his breath. I wheezed and turned away from him.

"There is, and has been for 200 years, a shortage of female blood in our family. It's rather unfortunate, to be honest, because we began to marry outside of the Hime circle."

"Heh...I don't see why you must force me into this kimono.", I whispered and wiped at the sweat accumulating upon my forehead.

"You play a very major part in all of this Hisana-san.", I could feel his weak smile on the back of my neck, "You see, before two hundred years ago, never has there been a marriage between a Hime and an outsider to our family. The consequences of breaking this unspoken law of marriage brought out...quite...cannibalistic results."

"...What?"

"As I have said before, Hime, up until two hundred years ago had been the strongest blood within the Seireitei. We yield strong offspring due to the fact that we kept strong blood concentrated as strong blood.

Introducing blood of a weaker strength gave us weaker offspring. These results were unforeseeable on our part. It follows the basic heredity theory of reproduction.

And as this shortage of offspring continued on, with weaker and weaker children in our family line as we began to marry outside the family, the head of the clan took action in order to restore the past strength of the Hime clan."

"...How did you manage that?", I whispered.

"We absorbed the reiatsu-the spiritual pressure-of all daughter-in-laws married into the household."

"You..._what?_", I gasped, pulling away from the young navy haired man, "That is a crime!"

"And indeed it is, according Central 46.", Manaka sighed and looked straight ahead, though his mind was elsewhere, as if he was thinking back on something, given by what he says next:

"_To __protect __the __members __of __the __Seireitei __and __of __the __Rukongai __District __of __Soul __Society, __any __individual __containing __any trace __of __blood __stemming __from __the __Hime family __line __is __forbidden __to __marry __outside __of __the __noble __house. __There __shan't __be __any __exception __to __this __declaration __made __by __the __Central __46.__"_

"...", I looked wide eyed at the young man before me. I never thought that he could transform from such a delicate flower I saw back at Kuchiki manor into a menacing beast.

"They refused to directly say it, but they wished for my family's downfall. For decades the Hime clan has not had a female newborn. How can they expect us to maintain our population with no female womb to bear a child? Coupled with the fact that we never have two consecutive marriages within a gap less than 50 years...they wanted us extinct. Rid the Soul Society of the cannibal nobles we've become.

If only kami-sama spared us with a girl offspring...things would not have led to this...if only kami-sama was on our side...kami-sama is against us, but why?"

I gasped and flinched when the Hime heir grabbed my shoulders and pushed his face up close to mine, "The reason, as my father and I have concluded, is that our authority was over powering his."

"That's not-!"

"'Tis completely true! Kami-sama creates this intricate plan, first by denying us a purebred Hime girl, and then forcing the weaker offspring into becoming flesh eaters!", he growled, "Kami-sama wants no threat to his stature in the heavens! We are a threat to kami-sama!"

"You've gone mad-!", I screamed and pushed him away with all the strength I could muster up in my weakened and poisoned state. His voice kept on ringing in my ears, however, no matter what.

"And then, by this reason, I figured out that kami-sama sees the Hime clan as a threat, if and only if...

the Hime family had the capability to rule all under the heavens."

The thumping of my heart in my chest.

"...Manaka...", I breathed, "No one has the power to overrule God."

"None, but the ones of full Hime lineage can overrule him, Hisana-san.", he looked down hard at me. His eyes became softer, the firm set of his lips turned gentle as he glided a cold hand against the curve of my cheek. I nudged it away from me, and turned to the side, refusing to look at him any longer.

"One hundred fifty years ago, I was born into this great family as the future head. Fourty years later, my father made an alliance with a member of the Fifth Company of Gotei 13. Then, he was only the Fukutaicho of Goban. And now, we know him to be the traitorous Captain of-"

"Sosuke Aizen...I realized he played a part in this scheme of yours when I was falsely led to your cursed manor."

"...Yes,", he replied after a short pause, "You catch on very quickly, Hisana-san."

"So I have been told."

He chuckled, "By siding with this man, we had made an extremely powerful alliance that ensured we would overpower Kami-sama when the suitable time came. As Aizen-san made his move on the Seireitei, he as well provided the Hime family time to recuperate our power. By publicly declaring his betrayal against Yamamoto Sotaicho, he has signaled to us that the time has nearly come to take our right full place as seaters to the throne of heaven!"

"You're crazy! All of you are!", I struggled, "Let me go! Kuchiki Taicho! Ichigo!"

"**SILENCE!****" **

I yelped, and bit my lip to prevent any other sound from escaping my lips when he slapped me across the face.

"Hisana-san!", he cooed immediately afterward, "Are you hurt?"

"...Get...away...from me...", I whimpered. At this rate, all this information will not help me with my recovery...

Manaka sighed, "Perhaps you are not the one destined to be my partner."

"I am glad you have figured out that I will never see you as my equal."

"...I dislike your arrogance, Hisana-san."

I scoffed.

"I believe that this the distinguishing characteristic between you and my deceased fiance."

Still not looking at him, I replied, "Maybe she killed herself, because she refused to marry you, which would have led to a more gruesome death feast of her flesh by her husband dearest."

"No. That was most definitely not the case. She did not commit suicide."

"...I don't want to hear this."

"You will. I demand it.", he coldly ordered, and what was I to do but listen? "I was to have married a little over fifty years ago, following in the footsteps of my past ancestors. My fiance... would have been the most beautiful bride to step foot into the Hime family."

…

Wait.

I frowned, "But Central 46 had banned all Hime males from marrying outside of their family circle..."

I could feel his smile creep out slowly even without looking at him. "She was from one of the poorest Rukongai districts. Her presence inside the Seireitei went unnoticed by all. It was convenient to have this marriage take place in secrecy."

"But she died, in the end."

"Yes, she did, but not right after her entrance into the Seireitei. Let me tell you, Hisana-san. I loved her with all of my heart. But alas, that heart of mine was broken when she was stolen by another man, whom she ended up marrying before I had the chance to."

"It serves you right. You had probably tricked her into coming into the Seireitei anyway."

"It was her loss. Then, a few years into her marriage with the foolish nobleman, she died. She would have been married into a good house even if it was with me, and at least she would have experienced happiest before we killed her."

"...Yet I still do not see why you seek comfort in telling me this story of your failure.", I whispered and rubbed at the bruised side of my face, where he had hit me. The man could pack some great force.

"...", I was shocked when he ceased to speak afterward, but the surprise of him pulling at my rubbing hand shocked the life out of me.

"It matters completely to you, Hisana-san."

At this point, all I could do was look at him and wait for more surprises to come my way.

"She is the reason as to why I became so entranced by you, the reason why you have been chosen to be my newly wedded wife!"

My brain began to process everything that had been explained to me. The woman from more than fifty years ago that would have probably died like me.

The reason why this lunatic brought me here. The reason why all of this is happening to me.

…

"...You son of a bitch...", I whispered.

A wave of nausea washed over me, and I found myself using his shoulders to steady myself. My own shoulders tensed as he placed a thin hand on the base of my back.

"You speak to the future king of all that lies beneath the skies. But..."

"I believe...", he breathed in beside my left temporal bone, "You have seen the light. And it just so happens that the time has come for me to officially marry you into the Hime clan."

"!"

I had been struggling with the poison that blue haired espada put into me all this time, tp keep my body still functioning as best as it could.

But now, I am completely immobile.

"When a Shinigami becomes weakened, the natural reaction of the spiritual body is to strengthen its masters walls, thereby amplifying the amount of reiatsu accessible to the Shinigami and other outside forces. I have assigned Grimmjow-san to inject this special poison inside of you so I can touch into all that strong reiatsu you have inside."

I could only glare at him as he lowered me down onto the thick carpeting of the assumed sacrificing bed.

Giving him a glare was the best I could do. This simple gesture in return earned me a soft smile from the heir of the Hime noble family. His lips parted, and inched closer and closer to mine.

"You share the same name. Your voice so sweet, like hers, your eyes the same softness, and my heart is beating quickly."

He looked at me and stroke my cheek, "And it beats quickly in excitement of restoring a great power into the Hime family."

"..." _Get __away __from __me..._

"It all makes me just want to push you into a corner, pull down your kimono and..and.."

"..." _Damn __you..._

"...and..._kill __you_...!"

I hate this.

I hate my life.

No one is going to come and get me.

-TBC

**Argh! I finished this after coming home and doing my advanced functions test...that thing was long, time consuming, and terrible. And I have a Biology quiz tomorrow too, but I spent quite sometime making this chapter. I didn't even edit it! Sigh...**

**But anyway, how was it? I really really hope you know who I am talking about here when Manaka is saying that he was supposed to marry someone else other than Hisana darling! **

**And finally the summary actually appears in the chapters! **

**What do you guys think? This was totally going to a different direction as to how I wanted this to happen! **

**Thank you for waiting for this author to type of this chapter! I'm sorry for its horrible grammar quality, but I need to get this out to the public. **

**And as well, I have decide to chose pharmacy as my future career occupation. Though that math test...thank you all for your great support! Thank you! I really love you all!**

**Please review! **

**-Tammy Sakamoto**


	32. The Nobleman

**Children, never skip in your final year of high school. You'll regret it soooo much, like me. I skip four classes in a row and ended up bombing my Advanced Functions quiz even though I studied. Sigh...There's so much to do that I can't even update properly...**

**So, here is the next instalment of the Dead Girl That Made Me Love her. Hopefully I can get this out on the day I am typing this so I can go and watch Gundam Seed. Darn Coordinators, I wanna be genetically enhanced to do cool stuff too!**

**Please review! **

**Tammy Sakamoto**

**Happy Holidays!**

**And PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BYAKUYA AND HISANA'S DIALOGUE! THERE ARE HIDDEN MEANINGS BEHIND EVERYTHING!**

**Bleach is not owned by me. Speaking of which, the manga is kind of getting wtf.**

…

Oh damn it all…

Why is my life so messed up?

…

…

…

"What makes you Shinigami think that you are God's messengers? Who had chosen you to eliminate us Hollows? Why seek to kill us all?"

"...You are mistaken."

SHHH...

" I am not here as a soul reaper."

SHWP!

"?"

"I cut you down merely because you pointed your sword at my pride."

"…N-no…Banzai! Lord Aizen! Banzai-!"

"Be gone."

…

…

…

I hate my life.

…

…

…

"You may come out, Kotestsu Kiyone."

"Y-yes Kuchiki Taicho."

"Nii-sama…"

"Lie down, Rukia."

"But you're hurt!"

"Lie down. The battle has only just begun…"

"..."

'Strange…' he thought to himself, 'I cannot sense her reiatsu anywhere.'

"I am heading forward into Las Noches. Do not head foolishly into battle."

"Yes sir!"

He was already off.

…

…

…

…Oh, whatever. I'm no stranger to death.

He navy haired man looked at down at me from above, and smiled, "I see that you have come to accept your fate."

"…"

"With your sacrifice, Hisana-san, you will restore the pride of the Hime family, and lead us all into victory."

"You realize that someone will stop you." I whispered. The back of my throat itched of blood, but I couldn't do anything about it, considering that I've lost all movement in my body.

"They won't be able to, even if they tried.", he sighed, and placed a hand over my forehead.

"Please do not think of this as death my dear Hisana. You be become one with my flesh-"

"I don't want to hear any of that, you sick psychopath!" I spat, "Just go ahead and kill me."

I'm no stranger to death.

Manaka sighed and straightened up, "Very well. I am sorry that you feel this way. I'm very sorry."

"…"

"Servants, place the cloth over her face."

…

…

…

A recognizable building stood straight ahead of his route.

The cold of the night bit at his face, yet he marched forward0.

'Hisana, will you be there?'

…

…

…

I'm no stranger to death, no stranger.

I don't care.

I don't care.

…

…

…

'I'm absolutely positive that you will be Hisana.'

…

…

…

I repeated this mantra in my head as a smooth sheet of white silk was placed over my eyes.

I don't care.

I shut my eyes. Took a deep breath.

Death awaits me.

…

…

…

He unsheathed Senbonzakura, and held his prized zanpakuto in front of him.

…

…

…

I felt a hand at my throat.

Would this hurt?

Of course it will.

Because I didn't say goodbye to anyone.

…

…

…

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

His blade severed itself into thousands of deadly petals.

He aimed them at the concrete building, now only one half a baseball field away.

…

…

…

I heard the thunderous sounds of drums striking, and people yelling.

So they scream as I'm being eaten?

The grip on my throat tightened. The soft warm breath of my destroyer brushed against my jaw.

…

…

…

The wall surrounding the building collapsed, and he flashed stepped past the dusty void of smoke.

To find Hisana.

He ran into the wide open entrance and hastily searched for any sign of his subordinate.

None.

…

…

…

My hands softly clenched as I felt his teeth marring my skin.

The cries got louder. My heartbeat thumped stronger.

I nearly broke out into a sob.

I felt his teeth sinking into my collarbone.

...

...

...

Byakuya lunged forward into another room.

...

...

...

I braced myself, and counted the seconds until the pain began tearing at me.

'One...'

...

...

...

Byakuya took a few steps forward with his injured leg.

...

...

...

'Two'

...

...

...

He brought Senbonzakura forward.

...

...

...

'Three...'

...

...

...

Lunged, and broke down the nearest door.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

BOOM!

...

...

...

And then I was assaulted by the scent of Chinese incense.

I felt a force lifting me up into the air against a strong chest. The wisp of the air blew the silk material out of my face. The world was spinning round and round and brighter and brighter. When everything stopped, I found myself outside of the Hime manor.

Kuchiki Byakuya was cradling me against his chest.

"T-Taicho…?", I breathed.

"My assumptions were right.", he spoke and glanced down at me, "You were here the entire time."

"But how did you know?"

"Because as I dealt with a certain Espada in Hueco Mundo, I realized that you wouldn't be there.", his deep violet eyes narrowed, "Your reiatsu was undetectable there. It wasn't in the Human World either. Finally, I reasoned you were here."

"Taicho, I was poisoned. They could have led me there-"

"You are not so weak.", he grunted before flash stepping out of the main entrance, shattered into tiny blocks of concrete around the floor.

"…"

"And were you to have ever went there on your own will,", he muttered, as Senbonzakura, in one hundred million blades aimed at the retreating Hime building.

"You would have told me."

All I could do was look up at him as we stood on a nearby tree overlooking the crumbling estate of the Hime clan.

"Throat Scene, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

The building was covered in smoke as Senbonzakura blew it into dust. We didn't stay long enough to see what happened to the people, and Hime Manaka, inside as the entire crashed down.

...

...

...

In this entire mess, as he carried me toward the Fourth Division, I actually managed to blush.

"I wouldn't have told you…"

"You would have. You wouldn't dare go anywhere without telling your commanding Captain now would you?"

"...You are not ill brained..."I swallowed, "...to be unable to recall that I don't work for you anymore."

"…"

"Remember?" I looked up at him wearily.

"Very true. But you would have told me where you were before you would have told anyone else. I know this for a fact."

"…"

I was too tired to say anything else, so I leaned into his neck. Unconsciously of course. My cheek pressed against the thick coils of his neck.

Chinese incense was still my favourite scent.

Because of Ichigo.

Of course.

"Hisana", his voice rumbled against my skin. The action cause me to hum in appreciation. It lulled me to sleep just a bit faster.

"Hisana."

"..."

"Hisana.", I was aware that he had stopped walking. But the outside world was quickly drifting away from me.

"Wake up, Hisana."

Darkness overwhelmed me. Reality was only a tiny light in my world now.

His calls for me became mute.

"Hisana. Don't leave me."

I think I gasped. The black body stopped spreading, and the whiteness of the world Kuchiki Taicho was still awake in came my to my senses. Slowly and tiredly, my eyes opened. I was greeted with the sight of my former Captain's face hovering close to mine, like if he said it close enough, his words will sink in into my brain.

"Don't you leave me. It is too cruel."

His breath wafted over my face, and mingled with my own.

I think it was because of the fact that I was kind of imagining that our breaths were merging into one like our..._souls,_that caused my brain to malfunction_.__Badly._

I kissed him.

Nearly.

_Just_ nearly.

I stopped when our lips were millimetres away from touching. His eyes were heavy. He'd stop breathing immediately. So did I.

"Um...", I began, and slowly retreated my head to resting on his shoulder. I opened my mouth to say something, but the embarrassment of what I could have done to him was so great that I just ended up biting my bottom lip.

"...Are you okay Hisana?", he asked me.

I flinched. What he probably wanted to ask me was what I was doing.

"I don't know...", I mumbled, and shut my eyes, "But I'm getting tired. Really tired."

_That_set him off into motion again. "Try not to lose consciousness. We are close to the Fourth Division. You'll be off of my hands soon."

"Good.", I muttered, quite rudely, and then rethought my words, "Because...you're hurt too, Kuchiki Taicho."

"..Hm."

"And...thank you?"

"I'll accept your thanks when you truly mean it."

I flinched. Guess he's angry now.

...

...

...

Of course Byakuya had been angered by her words.

When he saw his subordinate's eyes slowly shutting, he had panicked. He was aware that she was intoxicated. With what potion he was not aware of, but the raven haired Taicho knew that she was losing herself to the poison. After all, a Shinigami could only take so much, no matter how much more her Soul Reaper form could withstand than her human body. The poison the Manaka boy had given her has days to spread throughout her systems.

He called her, without effect. When her eyes remained closed for too long, his level of worry sky rocketed up to the roof. Calling out 'Hisana' multiple times showed no success to her awakening.

'Was she going to die?'

An image Hisana on the Hill. Laying lifeless over two months ago flashed across his mind. She had come back to life again only through the work of Senbonzakura and Wakahiru. The latter zanpakuto was nowhere to be found. And a hunch told Byakuya she wouldn't be spared a second miracle this time.

He tried calling out to her again, this time much closer to her face so his voice could somehow ring louder in her mind. She radiated the same signature scent on her handkerchief-that he still held possession of-in his headquarters. Her handkerchief will _not_ be a symbol of a dead girl that he allowed to pass away in his arms.

He'll never let the same thing that happened to his wife, happen to this girl.

"Hisana, don't leave me."

'Don't leave like how _she_did.'

The was very out of the ordinary for him to say such liquid warm words. From where he got these words he did not know, but his chest tightened when her eyes began to flutter open a tiny slit. He leaned closer to her. She drew in a breath.

Finally, he could draw a response.

Byakuya's voice hardened the slightest bit, became a little more pressing.

"Don't you leave me. It's too cruel."

'I don't want too see another woman die again.'

No words could describe how glad and relieved he was at that moment when Hisana's eyes were open large and wide.

No words how describe how he nearly passed out himself when she looked like she was about to kiss him.

She'd kiss him.

She'd initiate it.

What would that mean?

Perhaps that he held a special place in her heart that would keep her thinking about him persistently?

That the feelings he were growing for her were mutual?

But alas, she froze merely hair spans away from him. No words could express how slightly solemn he was.

No words could describe how insulted he was when she had suggested that she wanted to get away from him with a simple 'Good'.

By far insulted; one, by the fact that she look absolutely disgusted by what she was about to do with him; two, by the fact that she added salt to his man pride when she threw that 'Good ' to him. He had refused her 'thank you' like any honourable nobleman he was. In no agenda would any head of the Kuchiki family take an empty 'thank you?' from anyone.

That was what his nobleman side told him to think. As a man though, he was simply depressed.

The girl he had changed for had pretty much rejected him when she chose at the last minute to reconsider kissing him; told him that she would rather have needles stuck in her arms and nurses invading her personal space than be with him.

When he handed her over to Unohana's Third Seat, he quickly walked away. He stayed behind briefly to allow for the nurses to tend to his wounds acquired from his previous battle with the Seventh Espada.

Through that short moment in time, he replayed the mortifying memory of what could have happened between the two of them. She was just so close to him...his heart had been palpitating...

After that was over, he had not yet looked at his subordinate. So many things held him back from doing so.

What did Hisana feel for him?

He closed his eyes calmly when a shot of pain ran up his arms as the nurse handled his limb roughly.

A strange thing happened then.

As he closed his eyes, a memory of his wife came back to him.

"_Byakuya-sama.", said Hisana as she sat on the soft surface of her futon. _

"_Yes?"_

_She smiled lightly and moved forward, leaning her top frame into his chest. Her small hands fisted his sleeping yukata. _

"_Thank you."_

_He chuckled, his heart palpitating as he encircles her closer to him, "Why are you thanking me?" _

_She looked up at him. Her gaze was loving and he could see everything her mind wanted to say. _

"_I'm thanking you because you have loved me so much."_

_His wife's lips came closer to his own. _

"_To be the happiest man alive, I simply need you to love me back. It is all that I need in this world." _

_She smiled against his lips. _

Byakuya's eyes opened again, and he was brought back to the real world, where the nurses were bandaging up his arm and leg. He looked to the side, and saw the black haired girl lying on the issued hospital bed.

Her eyes made direct contact with him.

He could _not_see everything her mind wanted to say. He couldn't see where her heart was to.

He blinked, the icon of his wife came to him. He opened his eyes. All he saw was his subordinate. Again.

...A choice had to be made then. A nobleman must not consume his time with internal matters when the Soul Society was could on the Captains of the Gotei Thirteen.

Which Hisana would he see?

"Kuchiki Taicho...", his subordinate called out to him. He opened his eyes.

"What is it?", he whispered.

She bit her lip.

"Are you going back to Hueco Mundo?"

Byakuya blinked. Was she worrying about his health?

He breathed in, "Yes, I am."

She slowly nodded. For a while, he looked at her, not closing his eyes for one instant. Until she spoke again.

"Is...he there? You're going to help Ichigo right?"

Oh...She had made the decision for him.

Byakuya closed his eyes.

_The woman smiled up at him on their wedding night._

"_I love you, Byakuya-sama."_

"Yes, I am returning to Hueco Mundo to aid Kurosaki.", he replied patiently.

She sighed in relief, "That's good. I'm glad. Please look after him."

He nodded reassuringly, "You need not worry. I will make sure he will not fall."

His subordinate smiled, "Thank you Kuchiki Taicho."

He turned to the door.

"You're welcome...Sakamoto."

"_I __love __you __too __Hisana.__"_, _he __said __on __their __wedding __night, __to __the __one __and __only __woman __he vowed to__love __for __the __rest __his __life._

-TBC-

**So! We are back to square one! Hisana still cares too much about Ichigo, and Byakuya has decided to chose Hisana Kuchiki over Hisana Sakamoto. **

**By writing about the memories Byakuya had will his wife, I think their love runs really deep. It'll be a challenge for me to change that...interesting...**

**Please review!**

**Tammy****Sakamoto**


	33. My Dead Girl's Dead Eyes

**Happy New Year everyone! **

**SOME BI-OTCH decided to copy my story! That little piece of...*turns around and calls out: Grimmjow!**

**Grimmjow: What?**

**Tammy: Get her for me and rip her head ooff! **

**Grimmjow: Aren't you overreacting?**

**Tammy: SHUT UP! *takes out a missile and shoots it at him **

**Grimmjow: Gah!**

**Tammy: I'll do it myself then! *smiles and looks at the audience**

**And please review! I know this story is getting kind of nowhere but just TRUST ME!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto**

He left me with the nurses under Unohana Taicho's Division, with a face that showed that he had made some sort of ultimate decision. But it was ironed into a permanent frown, so I wondered what choice he had made to himself.

I sighed and watched as the elderly nurse tended to the bite wound on my collarbone.

Over the absences I took into unconsciousness, the nurse informed me of the battle that ranged in the so called fake Karakura Town. I breathed in, and asked her who had went with Byakuya in Hueco Mundo.

"Whoever had not followed Captain Commander Yamamoto to the Human World, went with Kuchiki Taicho, child."

"I'm glad he's not alone.", I looked out the window, "But it doesn't exactly make me feel better that I had asked him to fight by my request...", I frowned, "...Why do I feel like something bad will happen? Why am I so worried?"

"It comes with falling in love with a person, child.", the nurse smiled.

…

…

Five seconds after her last line of speech, the words finally sunk into my head. I turned to her, my face drenched in horror and my voice grave.

"What?"

"Sakamoto-san, you are falling in love with Kuchiki Taicho. And you are not falling slowly. The rate at which your heart slowly becomes his only grows quickly."

"Excuse me?", I gasped, and clutched my chest, "W-why would you say such things?"

My face heated up. I was sure that it would soon burn up the room.

"I...don't..."

She giggled, and I frowned at her, "Why are you laughing? It isn't funny that you are making false accusations about my feelings."

"Child,", she smiled and combed my hair, "This old lady's eyes can still see when someone is in love." She hunched forward, "My eyes have not failed me in eight hundred years, and they won't for another eight hundred more."

I couldn't say anything to her. With her face hunched so close to mine, I saw only years of wisdom and knowledge engraved into one old woman.

"Who are you?", I whispered.

She chuckled, "This lady is simply an old nurse who feels compelled to encourage the blossoming of a love between two people who desperately need it."

I swallowed, and turned to the side, "I don't desperately need love...I have Ichigo."

She sighed, "No matter how much effort the two parties put in, a love separated by two dimensions, between literally two worlds will fade through the years."

"...", I looked at her.

In my mind, I had made a decision to myself as well.

"I don't take negativity very well.", I made movement to sit up, and the elderly nurse straightened her back, "Please fetch me a new set of shihakusho, the one from the Onmitsukido."

"Child,", the nurse held me up by my arms as I stood, "Are you going to participate in the battle?"

"Of course I am.", I began to undo the complex hairstyle the Hime family had forced me into when they kidnapped me, "From what you have said, all Captains and quasi-Captains have left the Seireitei. I refuse to lie down while everyone is risking their lives against Aizen."

"...I will not stop you, child.

But I need to warn you that the poison is still in you. It has been in your system for too long and it is a sort of poison that I could only reduce the effects of for a while. It can only be rid by Unohana Taicho. Until you can find her, refrain from any battles."

I changed into the Onmitsukido uniform. Her every word rang in my head over and over again. As I secured the long white obi sash around my waist, the nurse broke the silence between us.

"Even at this moment, my words are echoing in your mind. Why do you refuse to accept your feelings child?"

I closed my eyes and grabbed Wakahiru. Previously, one of the nurses had entered to hand it over to me. The zanpakuto was in the ruins of the Hime Family.

The Hime Family.

"Because at the moment, Seireitei is dealing with too much. In one hand all of us need to handle Aizen's threat to mankind. And on the other hand we must also deal with another betrayal by the Hime noble house. Why would I be sorting out my nonexistent feelings for Byakuya now?"

I turned around to head for the door, only to be confronted by the nurse in front of me and her sneaky grin.

"Byakuya?"

"I meant Kuchiki Taicho.", I looked to the side and blushed, "How I chose to address him proves nothing, by the way."

"Oh, Hisana-san...", she cooed and gently held our hands together, "The two of you need to be more conscious about how you call out each others' names."

"...I don't understand?"

"Child, pay more attention to what he calls you. He calls you Hisana now."

"R-really?", I blinked, and then shook my head, "B-but like I said, how we address each other has no meaning. I can call him Byakuya and he can call me whatever he wants"

...Stupid blush...

The shorter woman giggled, "Do you want to call him, Byakuya-kun?"

My jaw dropped, "Byakuya-kun? Are you...you...", I looked incredulously at her. I wasn't blushing any longer. Absolutely not!

"It sounds nice, ne?"

I glared and marched around the shorter lady, "Nurse-san, I have no idea who you are, but you are seriously out of your mind and I am not in love with _Kuchiki Taicho_ and we have a war to fight and people to protect...a-and...there is a mad noble man and his father running amok!"

"..."

"That reminds me, there's a situation I need to resolve for Hisana-san."

As I placed my retrieved Wakahiru on my back and exited the door, I turned to the side and whispered,

"...Even if I was...'falling in love' with him...I cannot forget that he is a married man...and that he loves his wife. The fact that we share the same name doesn't mean that he's going to love me."

"..."

"Thank you,", I nodded, "For treating me."

So, I used shunpo to exit the hospital, and in the act, failed to hear her last words for me.

"I just said...a love separated by two dimensions, between literally two worlds will never bloom into anything. This holds true for Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Hisana's fading images in both your hearts..."

…

…

…

"Hime Manaka!", I shouted while I jumped across the rocks that once built the walls of the noble manor, "Manaka!"

"Get out here right now! You and I have some business to settle!"

"Why we do, don't we?", a voice husked beside my ear. I turned around and swung my zanpakuto.

He jumped out of the way, not a scratch on his body that proved that he was apart of the victim population trapped in the wreckage.

I pointed the tip of my sealed Wakahiru out at him, and stood up straight, "I told you that someone will come to deal with you!"

He chuckled from a few feet away, and glared, "So the Sotaicho only asked you to come? Or did you only come to face me because every other competent Shinigami is out of the Soul Society? Has Kuchiki Byakuya already dismissed you from his care?"

"It doesn't matter that he isn't here, or if I'm alone,", I crouched low, "Because I can deal with you all by myself!"

Shnk!

"Scratch the air! Wakahiru!"

I slammed the green blade hard into the solid ground.

DON!

I applied a strong enough force onto the boulder I stood on to push me up a few feet. Levitating in the air, I began the chant,

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!"

Palm opened and aimed at a fourty-five degree depression, I hollered:

"Hado 31 (Way of Destruction 31): Shakkaho! (Red Fire Canon)"

BOOM!

The thick red column of red reishi blasted out down at Hime Manaka.

Smoke covered everything.

"_Hado gojuuhachi ban (Way of Destruction Number 58)..."_

My eyes blew wide. 'What? How can he use kido if he's not a Shinigami?'

"_Tenran (Swelling Storm)." _

A tornado-like blast of a storm was hurled in my direction, and sent large chunks of rock spiraling toward me.

"H-how?", I gasped as I sent Wakahiru slicing through any boulder that headed for my direction, "You can only do the kido with a zanpakuto! And you're not even a zanpakuto-"

Realization flooded over me.

"Bakudo 81 (Way of Binding 81)...", I whispered, "Danku (Severing Void)..."

_Kuchiki Taicho taught me this move... _

"Ah...", the navy haired man chuckled from behind, "You are using one of Kuchiki Byakuya's signature moves."

"Wakahiru-"

"Save your strength, Hisana-san.", he interrupted me, "Why don't we go someplace else?"

"Like yeah, totally! So you can gang up with your father and servants like last time?", I sneered, "I'm not foolish enough to take you all at once!"

He frowned, and for a moment I saw pain, "You needn't worry about interference. That fatal attack from your Captain successfully wiped out everyone. It is only me now. And I am the head of the Hime family."

"..."

His frown lightened into a conniving smirk, "...Prepare to leave.", he continued, "We will indulge ourselves in a legendary battle, of course, but I find our current setting to be distasteful."

His gaze found interest in the sky as a deep rumbling was heard. My eyes never left his form, for I was too afraid that he would use the chance to attack me if I followed his eyes. So my eyes were glued to the movements in his limbs every second.

Until it was too late.

"It is time."

One moment everything was perfectly normal, in the sense that I understood what was going on. The next, Manaka was engulfed in a white light that slowly lifted him up to a higher altitude than where he was levitating before.

"What the...", I began.

And then the white light hit me too.

"!"

"It is pointless to struggle, Hisana-san.", the navy hared man called out beside me, "This is called a Negacion; from the moment that the two of us stepped into the light, we entered another dimension where we are untouchable by the Soul Society."

You would understand why I was alarmed when I finally looked up to the sky...

...and found that we both were being lifted up into a hole bursting to the rim with Gillian class Hollow.

"What are you planning to do?", I gasped, the force of suction quickly increasing, as our ascent neared its destination.

Manaka smiled, "Let me explain. Negacion is used by Gillian class Hollows to rescue their injured comrades. We've found a way to use this special skill to our own advantage, by ordering a Negacion on whoever and whenever we please. We also command where it sends the person."

"So, where are you bringing me now?"

"Las Noches, in Hueco Mundo."

"!", my eyes widened, "Why-"

"Because, Hisana-san, even though you needn't worry about interference, I'd enjoy it if our battle was in an environment where I would have the upper hand."

"I'll beat you, no matter where we are."

"Heh.", he chuckled, "Such big words coming from a weak girl. In terms of class, I outrank you; I am the head of the strongest noble house while you are merely an unseated Shinigami. In terms of strength I surpass you with the immense power given to me by noble blood. In terms of knowledge, my experiences have given me by far more thought than you garnered in your fifteen years of life. Simply put, I overpower you in everything."

"Besides, that poison I had the Espada placed in you is wearing you down as we speak, isn't it?"

...I slowly looked away, resisting the urge to squirm under his gaze.

He laughed. "It's not a simple concoction. But rest assured that it will not kill you...immediately."

"So you'll find joy in seeing me die a slow and painful death then.", I spit.

"No...", he quickly replied, "I'll have the pleasure to be the one who erases your existence in the realm. The poison was given to you so that my feast would be have more simple to perform. But seeing as you've avoided that method of death,...I think I will relish in the moment in our fight when I slice your throat open while you've no more energy to resist."

He laughed, I shivered. What an evil boy young man.

"Fortunately for you, I myself need time to recuperate."

"!"

The speed at which he was being lifted up increased, which sent him flying into the void of Gillians before me.

From where he was, he looked down at me with those cold eyes, "When you arrive at Hueco Mundo, look for me in Las Noches. We will settle our battle then, if the Hollows and Arrancar don't get to you first!"

"Manaka!"

"I'll see you then!", he threw at me right before he disappeared.

"Manaka! MANAKA!", I shouted.

And then, I too was brought into the black void. The Gillians reached out for me. I cursed. The poison was slowly bringing me down...

…

…

…

At long last, I jumped out of the throngs of Gillian class Hollows in the Negacion and into Hueco Mundo. It was an eternal night in the desert.

I wheezed as I hit the ground, and I was glad to be out of reach from the Gillians. But at the same time, I was so restless because I was now in uncharted territory.

Fighting the Menos Grande had taken a toll on me; littering my skin with deep gashes and bruises. The bottom of my shihakusho was burnt and torn. It was as well pointless for me to be wearing the straw sandals all Shinigami wear ordered to wear, for they were worn.

Las Noches, the building where the Arrancar inhabited, loomed right before me. The entrance was right at my finger tips. And I began running towards it.

Nearly one hour later, I was only half way there.

I panted, and wondered if I was truly halfway toward Las Noches, or if that was also just an illusion.

My pulse thumped in my ears, and I felt like my head was floating above my head. I was so uncomfortable...

"Heh...", I smiled lightly, "This poison sure is very powerful..."

It took me twice as long to finish my trip to the building. All the while, I thought about the old nurse's words.

"_It comes with falling in love with someone, child."_

It may have been the poison streaming into my heart through the veins, but my heart began beating wildly. I remembered back to the time we were swallowed by the Hollow, him trying to save my life in Rukongai. It was the first time I've ever been so close to his body, and the first time I realized he had such captivating violet eyes.

Later on after that night, I'd touch the flesh on his back. His shoulders would be broad and corded with thick muscle.

And even before that, I'd...

I'd give him mouth to mouth.

I kissed his lips.

"_Sakamoto-san, you are falling in love with Kuchiki Taicho." _

It's interesting that at this moment I would be thinking about something like this, while the stability of the Seireitei was partially in my hands.

"_Even at this moment, my words are echoing in your mind. Why do you refuse to accept your feelings child?"_

Before I could imagine how soft lips would have been if I'd have kissed him hours earlier, I shook the thought out my mind, and dug my heels deeper into the cold sand.

Everything was so frustrating.

Two hours later, and I was practically dragging my body through the long corridors.

Finally, I have entered the castles.

Did I have anymore strength to even fight?

"Wakahiru...", I whispered.

'I'm sorry Mistress Hisana...there's nothing I can do.'

I shivered, "Why is it getting so...cold...?"

'You should stop...'

I shook my head left and right, the loose strands of hair on my head falling in my face, "Not...an option..."

"Hisana...?"

I froze.

There he was.

Standing a short field away from me was a man adorning a white scarf across his strong neck. His raven hair was styled and combed elegantly by familiar ornaments. Pale skin...

Charming face...

Violet eyes...

The shoulders...

His parting mouth calling out to me.

"K-Kuchiki Taicho?", I cried.

"Hisana...", his voice was gentle and his facial features softened when he saw the tears in my eyes. I took a step forward, suddenly I was so drawn in by his open arms.

His long arms surrounded my weak form. And I just felt so safe in his arms. They cuddled me, and kept me warm and standing straight.

"T-Taicho..."

"Sh...don't worry...you're with me now. Everything is okay. But Hisana...why did you follow me?", he slightly frowned down at my face.

I shook my head, "No...I didn't follow you. Hime Manaka is still alive, and I decided to fight him. He brought me here, to Hueco Mundo so that we could settle the score."

He smiled and combed his fingers through my hair, "Don't worry, you needn't fight him. I'll do it."

"No...you're injured!", I protested and grabbed onto his black shihakusho, "I'm going to fight him. I don't want you getting hurt anymore—-!"

His arms pulled me even tighter into his strong built, tight enough that I could hear the sound of his heartbeat right beside my ear.

"...T-Taicho..what are you doing?", I blushed.

"Can you hear the beating of my heart?"

"..."

"If you fight, it'll stop beating and break. That would be the most ultimate pain of all."

"Taicho...", I dropped Wakahiru, my fingers too numb to hold onto anything.

"I love you...Hisana."

My eyes widened.

"_The rate at which your heart slowly becomes his only grows quickly."_

"I...I-I...I'm...stunned...I don't know what to...do..."

…

…

"_Foolish Hisana-san."_

SHUNK!

Blood shot out of my mouth as abruptly as how Senbonzakura stabbed right through my chest.

It wasn't even Senbonzakura.

It wasn't even Byakuya's uniform that my blood spilled onto.

It wasn't even _him. _

It glared up at the navy haired man in front of me, "Manaka..."

"Did you honestly believe that Kuchiki Byakuya would actually say that? Did your few years under his direct guidance not teach you anything about him?"

I glared up at him, trying to pull the steel blade out of my body.

"I was write...you _did _have a zanpakuto."

"OH? When did you realize it?"

"When you performed the kido back in the Seireitei. I was so stupid to forget about it."

"Hm...", he breathed, "You were quite quick to put one and one together then. Unfortunately, your brightness did you no purpose. I'll tell you this, Hisana-san. My zanpakuto's ability is quite similar to Sosuke Aizen's. However, while Aizen's blade casts illusions on objects, mine can manipulate items and command them to do or feel whatever I wish. This time, I chose to manipulate how your eyes saw me."

"I'll get you for this..."

"You won't. I have won our battle.",

"Fight me like a real man!", I hissed, reaching unsuccessfully for my fallen zanpakuto.

Shaking his head Manaka crouched down to whisper in my ear, "As well, I'd like to clear out the misunderstanding that my ultimate battle is with Kuchiki Byakuya, not with you. You've become quite unless to me when I was unable to devour your flesh."

"..."

"I will use your body to fool Kuchiki Byakuya. Though I could have simply manipulated his eyes as well, I found it to be more entertaining if we was to die by his own subordinate's blade. Besides, the man is too clever to fool with an illusion."

"You play dirty..."

He grinned, "I'm full of surprises."

I was no longer conscious.

…

…

…

He and Kenpachi had just finished taking down the Espada Number Zero, when the small pink haired Fukutaicho of Eleventh Company pointed to the castle.

He was quite surprised to see his ex-subordinate enter out of it and run toward him. Even more surprised when she ran right into his frame.

"What are you doing, Sakamoto?", he spoke urgently. She wouldn't look up to meet his stern gaze.

"..."

"I thought I told you to recuperate your wounds back in the Seireitei. You're wasting my time being here."

It would probably be the umpteenth time that he saw the shorter black haired girl cry.

"Kuchiki Taicho...how can you say that to me when I came all the way here for you?"

"For me...?", his eyes narrowed, and he tried to suppress the fast beating of his heart.

"Yes, Taicho...", finally she looked up at him, "I cam for you."

Her eyes were dead and evil.

SHUNK!

"For you."

Blood shot out of his mouth as abruptly as how Wakahiru stabbed right through his chest.

-TBC-

**Please review! Now, to go to sleep!**

**-Tammy Sakamoto**


	34. The Obvious

**Hey guys…**

**To those of you that actually take your time to actually read my author's note in this chapter, I would like to applaud you for your initiative, because BOY do I have A LOT to rant about. You all deserve a hug!**

**Anyway, guess what? I moved out of my parent's place! I'm actually living by myself right now! Yaaaay! Well actually, I have to move back into their home in April since I'm only here to feed my uncle's fish and water his plants while he's away with his family in Asia. But maybe this will give me the opportunity to mature and be independent. **

**The problem is that I've been staying up and doing whatever on the computer until 4-5AM in the morning for the past few days. Ugh, I know, terrible, and my mom would have hit me if she knew (but she doesn't, since I live by myself now!). Just yesterday, I had to wake up to get to university but I actually slept in. If it wasn't for my mom coming over to my apartment and slamming on the door for half an hour, I would have probably woke up near the evening time. Yikes. I missed all my classes for today. I totally missed all the seminars I signed up for as well. **

**Today, I have to go to an elementary school to teach some kids, and I have to wake up and be there by 10AM. But I'm so scared that what happened yesterday would repeat itself again, so I've decided to stay up the entire night so I won't disappoint those kids, and jeopardize my chances of successfully being hired for the organization. So how am I going to pass my time for the next six hours? Well, I'm going to write the overdue chapters for The Dead Girl That Made Me Love Her! **

**I can't believe that you guys actually like this story! I'm not complaining, really, I've got to say THANK YOU, but I feel like there could be so much more improvement! Especially from a university student! **

**If I took down the story and re-wrote it, would you guys object? Really, let me know the honest truth!**

**Oh! I'm also going into nursing now! If any of you read the author's note from one of my last chapters, I was contemplating between pursuing a career in nursing or pharmacy, and in the end I chose pharmacy. Huge mistake. I'm not interested in any of that at all anymore, not with all that intense chemistry! I DO love chemistry, but when they purposely try to fail you and not teach you the advanced level questions, I WILL get fed up. I'm waiting for an offer of admission into this great nursing program, and I've made sure to get my marks up in the 4.0 GPA range (yes, it is a 4.0 on a 4.0 scale) so that I can successfully transfer. When I DO get my offer, I'm going to somehow persuade my mom into letting me go. She doesn't want me to pursue nursing! Arghh!**

**Are any of my readers in nursing? Tell me how it is!**

**And sorry for not updating when I said that I would. I WOULD have updated on time if I could find that darn file of The Dead Girl, but it wasn't in my laptop! **

**Well, please review! And thanks so much for putting my story on your favorites and alerts! That is actually why I'm updating right now! **

**-Tammy Sakamoto**

Something was wrong with Sakamoto. There were so many signs that he could not have thrown that obvious conclusion out the window.

Perhaps the first sign was the fact that she had confessed to him. "I love you." she had whispered. He wished he could have denied that those words had made his heart shoot up his throat. But this had not been a good enough reason to conclude that something was wrong, because she HAD almost…touched lips…with him earlier that day. There had been too many things to worry about, not just within the Gotei 13 and Karakura, but in the noble families as well, to have let Byakuya not reason out that maybe Sakamoto just decided that the moment was right to confess her undying adoration. Her embrace did not help matters either.

The second and third warnings were definitely the most striking signs that Sakamoto was not the Sakamoto he knew. _Her eyes were dead._ Many times he would catch them sad or in a daze, or maybe approachable like they usually were. A lot of the time it was because of those eyes that he wanted to bully her as well not to mention that another reason was because she had his wife's name. Why did the others wonder why he called the third seat 'Sakamoto', instead of 'Hisana' like everyone else did? Well, whatever emotion she was harbouring in her eyes at that moment, _never_, would they be dead. Except for that time with Aizen's official defunct from Seireitei. Maybe that reference was another clue that Sakamoto was gone at this moment.

And then the most obvious clue of them all, Sakamoto just stabbed him. The time when they were swallowed whole by the Hollow had been the first time she confessed she wanted to protect him. Why would the woman that acted so many times on that statement go against that very same pledge?

That was when Byakuya decided to fight away the absolute shock his body was captured in. He easily pushed the girl away from him, even with the gaping wound in his abdomen.

He looked at the girl. His eyes narrowed.

Maybe the most obvious thing out of the entire scenario was the following:

Hime Manaka.

Kuchiki Byakuya decided then at that moment that he will stop at nothing, to get Sakamoto out of the wicked man's control.

Byakuya will not even hesitate at hurting her.

Maybe.

If he can convince himself that he cared about her too much within the time of now and when he gets his hand on the young nobleman.

-TBC

**Yes, I'm stopping it at there because I want to see what the reaction will be like from updating for the first time in so long. **

**Please DO review and everything, as that will very likely determine whether I will ever update again or the plans I have for The Dead Girl That Made Me Loe Her will forever remain in my brain. :D If that happens, I will be starting on an AU fic I have for Byakuya, which I think will be quite interesting to write and read! It's got a very SERIOUS Byakuya but he always gets into these really ridiculous (and I would like to think funny) situations. It's OC, like usual. **

**-Tammy Sakamoto**


End file.
